Pokemon: A New Hero and A New Adventure
by Swordsman4
Summary: John Easton is your average eleven-year old, but when he and his grandmother are faced with foreclosure on their home he realizes he only has one option to get them out of debt. Enter the Indigo League and claim the title of Pokémon Champion. But that road won't be easy with his rivals in his path.
1. The Start of a New Adventure!

I don't own Pokemon

* * *

_It's Remaking time! Gees, that didn't sound dumb at all. Darn impulse to use a Cilan line!_

* * *

A boy with black hair, brown eyes, a red t-shirt, and red pants sat on his bed as he smiled. A girl with blonde hair, cinnamon eyes, and a pink nightgown sat next to him. A man with the same features, a blue shirt, and jeans chuckled.

"It's bedtime." he said.

"No, tell us a story." the children said.

"Well, there was the story of my journeys. I don't think I've told you them." the man said.

"Are we old enough to hear them?" they asked.

"I think so." the man replied.

* * *

The dark clouds set the mood as rain poured over a small rural town. The darkness from the clouds was illuminated every few seconds with a bright flash of light. A loud crash echoed through the air. A boy with dark brown, almost black eyes, jet black hair, silver glasses, a blue shirt, and blue jeans stood on the porch of a small grey house. A man with brown hair, blue eyes, a royal blue shirt, and black pants smiled as he looked down at the boy.

"How long will you be gone?" the boy asked.

"We'll only be gone for a week." a woman with auburn hair, hazel colored eyes, and a red dress replied.

"A week?" the boy asked.

"Don't worry it'll be shorter than you realize, son." the man said as he and his wife walked out to his car.

The boy sighed as he watched his parents drive away. He loved spending time with his grandmother, but a week. This was new to John Easton. The rain poured down in sheets and made it impossible for John to see the white car disappear.

"You better come inside before you catch a cold." a woman with white hair, grey eyes, a pink blouse, and grey pants said.

John nodded as he sat down in the living room and laid down on the couch. He started to get tired before drifting off to sleep.

* * *

**Present Day**

He recalled the day like a bad movie. The glow of the television screen was visible. The headline was as clear today as it was then. "Aerodactyl Airline Flight 410 crashes at Mt. Silver". John knew all too well whose flight that was and he still was haunted by the event. If he wasn't depressed enough from the fact it was the fifth anniversary, the fact of the recent letter burnt him like fire. Why was this happening to him? What did he do wrong? The mere word angered him. How were they supposed to know about the mortgage?

"Foreclosure." he muttered as he threw a wiffle ball against the wall in anger.

His grandmother had sold her house to move into his old house, unaware that the mortgage wasn't fully paid off until now. John Easton was a smart boy, he knew what this meant for them. He also knew there was no way in a snowball's chance in Cinnabar's volcano that they could get five thousand dollars. The eleven-year old, walked down the stairs and headed outside. John liked to talk a walk or go to the batting cages to cheer himself up. He wandered down the dirt road and glanced at the professor's lab. The town's bulletin board caught John's attention. A bright multicolored flier was pinned to the board and caught John's eye. The Pokémon League, why hadn't he thought of that? He could enter the Indigo League for a chance to win the prize money. Surely, there would be enough to pay off the mortgage. Fortunately, he knew a lot about Pokémon. His best friends Jay Isle and Cameron Thomas were studying to become trainers. Sure, they had left, but he had learned quite a bit about Pokémon from them.

"If I can hit an inside fastball, being a Pokémon trainer should be easy." John muttered.

The eleven-year old smirked as he sprinted home, he felt he had one chance to get his family out of this mess and he was ready to take it. He rushed through the door and greeted his grandmother.

"Hi grandma." John said.

"You seem to be in a hurry." she said.

"You won't believe what I saw." John said as he tried to catch his breath.

"What was it?" she asked.

"A flier for the Pokémon League." John replied.

His grandmother's face went from a joyful to a confused look.

"Pokémon League?" she asked.

"Yeah, it's our ticket out of this mess." John said as he smiled. "The winner gets price money."

"John, you don't have to do that." his grandmother said.

"But I want to, when I see an opportunity I take it. My parents would do the same." John said.

John's grandmother smiled and shook her head.

"You are just like your parents. Hard worker, determined, intelligent. They'd be proud." she said.

"So can I enter?" John asked.

"If you believe it's the right thing to do." his grandmother replied.

John nodded as he bolted upstairs, he had a lot to pack before tomorrow's deadline. As he entered his room he glanced over his things.

"Hmmmm. What to pack?" John said to himself.

* * *

_Author's Note: I'm remaking an old work of mine it was one of my first stories, the next chapters will be longer. Think of this as a prologue. I'm working on remakes and several other new stories to give me a break from Firered. I hope you enjoy this story. Swordsman4 out! _


	2. To the Lab!

John grabbed a few sets of clothes and reached for his MP3 player. Music was a necessity in horrible lobbies, lines, and for motivation. He could find uses for it. He reached over and stared at the last picture ever taken of his parents. His emotions swept over him like a Water Pulse from a Squirtle. John forced a small, half-hearted smile as he looked at the picture.

"I'm going to get us out of this mess, I promise." he said as he set the picture back on his desk.

He couldn't believe this was the morning to claim a Pokémon. He had set his alarm an hour earlier than usual. You'd have to be some sort of idiot to stay up late, and over sleep on a day like this. John was used to waking up early anyways. The Easton family woke up at seven o' clock every morning. The sky looked like a painting as it glowed a bright red. As he dashed downstairs he grabbed a granola bar to snack on and headed out the door. The rural town of Pallet was John's kind of place, calm, scenic, what was there else to say. He enjoyed the smell of the cut grass and the meadows. His enjoyment was interrupted by an all too familiar voice that sounded like fingernails on a chalkboard to John.

"The Turtwig came out of its shell, about time." a girl with sand blonde hair that has about shoulder length, hazel eyes, a pink t-shirt, and pink skirt teased.

John only rolled his eyes, he was far above stooping to childish name calling. Well, most of the time.

"So, loser. I'm guessing you're headed to Professor Oak's lab." the girl said.

"That's none of your business!" John snapped in retaliation.

"It doesn't matter, I'm going to get the BEST Pokémon the professor has." the girl bragged as she followed John down the road.

"All the kids say that. When I was on my paper route last year, that one dude with the spiky brown hair I overheard him say that he had the best Pokémon. If I remember watching last year's league battles the same guy lost in the first few rounds." John replied as he smirked.

"We'll see about that." the girl said.

A brief silence fell over the two soon to be trainers.

"I'm surprised you decided to come out from your home, you've been cowering in there for days." the girl said.

"It's called work and responsibility. I can't slack off like some people, Laura." John said as he chuckled.

"Slack off?! I'm responsible!" Laura shouted.

"You keep telling yourself that, whatever helps you sleep at night." John said.

"Oh, so just because I want a rematch means I'm not responsible?" Laura questioned.

"No, the reason I can't have a rematch is because I actually have work and responsibilities." John replied.

The bickering continued between the two rivals as they headed to the lab, and didn't stop until they reached the lab. John entered the large lab and was amazed by the amount of books in the lab. Shelves of books were lined up against the wall. Large machines were scattered inside the lab, John always thought it was a small place but it just proved you can't judge a book by its cover. An old man with grey hair, a white lab coat, brown pants, and a lavender colored shirt turned to greet them. Few people didn't know him, you'd have to be living under a rock.

"Hello, professor." John said.

"I see you two have made it. I imagine you're here to get a starter Pokémon." Professor Oak said.

"Yeah. Because I want to become a Pokémon Master." Laura said.

John rolled his eyes, he HATED that term. It sounded tacky to him, Pokémon Champion was the better name. Master sounded like a goal for children, Champion sounded more mature. You know like in sports. No one ever said World Series Master, Super Bowl Master, Stanley Cup Master.

"Which Pokémon will you choose?" Professor Oak asked Laura.

"Bulbasaur." she said as she snatched the grass type starter.

The move wasn't surprising to John, his rival babbled on and on about how she'd raise a Bulbasaur to beat the Elite Four.

"Which Pokémon will you choose?" Professor Oak asked not realizing a key part of that question.

John reached for Squirtle's Pokeball because his best friend had chosen it the year before. The orb opened to reveal an empty ball.

"Huh?" John gasped.

He shook off the initial shock and reached for Charmander's Pokeball. The capsule opened to reveal another empty orb.

"What in the world happened?" John asked.

"I must have miscounted, I could have sworn...oh. Never mind." Professor Oak said.

"Ha, you're going nowhere! You're going to have stay in Pallet Town!" Laura taunted in a singsong voice as she left the lab with Pokedex and Pokémon in hand.

"You have to have another Pokémon!" John shouted.

"Well, there is one outside in that tree, but you'll have to catch it." the professor said as he pointed at a tall maple tree.

John nodded as he sighed. Why did everything in life be so difficult?

"It's better than nothing." John said.

* * *

After John was handed a bright blue Pokedex and six Pokeballs, he headed outside. He looked around and spotted a pair of small eyes glaring back at him from inside a hole in the tree. The tiny parrot-like Pokémon came out from the hole and tilted its head as it glared at John.

"Oh great." John muttered.

He knew it was hard to catch a Pokémon from the books he read, but to catch a flying Pokémon. Try impossible.

"Let's get this over with." John mumbled.

* * *

Author's Note: I had trouble deciding between Pichu(Because I LOVE Raichu, it has a great moveset.) and Chatot for John's starter. Pichu was too similar to the anime, and I tried that in my first edition of this story. It seemed too much an anime copy, so Chatot it is. John's main rival will be Laura Manson, an intellectual equal and a former classmate of John. Their rivalry will be explained in later chapters. Drop a review, suggestions, and/or comments. Swordsman4 out!


	3. Trouble in Viridian

John smirked as he reached into his backpack and pulled out some saltine crackers. The bird slowly approached John and pecked at the saltines. Chatot climbed up on his shoulder as it ate another cracker from John's hand.

"You like these things, don't you?" John asked.

How the bird could stand the flavorless saltines left John confused. He sure couldn't.

"Chat. Chatot." it chirped.

"I think it likes you." Professor Oak said as he approached John.

"I hope so." John replied.

The bird Pokémon fluttered next to John and chirped.

"Do you want to join me, Chatot?" John asked.

"Chat." it squawked as it nodded.

"Alright!" John shouted as he touched it with a Pokeball.

The flying type was engulfed by a red beam as it was sucked up by the orb. The Pokeball made a loud clicking sound and flashed. John smirked as he caught his first Pokémon. His moment was interrupted by the professor as he was handed a Pokedex.

"Thanks." John said as he turned to leave.

The eleven-year old walked down the road and smiled. His journey had just begun.

* * *

John looked around at the bright scenery that surrounded him and thought about the unknown road before him. He'd be leaving the only town he had ever known. The sunlight reflected off a small river and the meadows. John approached a wooden sign to read what it said and chuckled.

"Beware of Spearow." he muttered.

John smirked as he walked on the dirt road. He found it amusing that they'd put up a sign. Anybody who messed with a Spearow was asking for trouble. He'd learned that as a five-year old, in many books. He glanced at the trees and noticed that the clouds were starting to darken. John saw a fairly large city on the horizon and sprinted down the road. Rain started to fall and soak him. Lightning flashed in the distance and a loud crash echoed through the air. The thunderstorm started to get really bad as pea sized hail fell from the sky. As he entered Viridian City, John took shelter in the Pokémon Center.

"You look like you fell into the river on Route One. A Magikarp didn't jump you, did it?" a girl taunted.

John rolled his eyes as he was confronted by his rival, Laura. The two trainers had been rivals since the day they met at school and not much had changed since, except for the fact that Laura was a lot more critical of people. For years they had competed against each other academically, athletically, and now Pokémon.

"Shut up. No one asked for comments from the peanut gallery." John said.

"Don't tell me to shut up, you're not the boss of me!" Laura shouted.

John rolled his eyes as he walked into one of the bathroom stalls so he could change his clothes. He changed into a blue shirt and grey cargo shorts. The storm seemed to be letting up so John figured he'd check out the town. The large amount of restaurants, grocery stores, and malls amazed him. He had been to bigger town before, but this was totally different.

"You act like you've never seen a building before." Laura said as she approached her rival.

"You'd be shocked to go from rural farm town to giant city too." John said.

"Not really, my family and I vacation all the time but a rookie loser like you would never understand." Laura replied as she walked by before entering a shopping mall.

John rolled his eyes. Now she was treating him like he was younger than her even though he was a year older. As John looked around town, he started to search for the gym. The amount of buildings didn't make it easy to identify though. As he approached what he assumed was the gym, he read the sign.

"Closed?" John muttered.

The trainer turned back and figured he move on to the next town. As he headed back to the Pokémon Center, John was stopped by a panicked Laura.

"I need your help!" Laura shouted as she cringed.

"What's wrong?" John asked nonchalantly as he turned to see what his rival wanted.

"Those words are VERY bitter." Laura replied as she coughed.

"No, not that!" John shouted as he started to get annoyed.

"A friend of mine is in trouble in the Viridian Forest, she said something about a team before her Pokegear cut out." Laura replied.

John exhaled a groaned.

"You better not being lying." John said sternly.

"I swear I'm not tricking you. Truce?" Laura said.

John nodded as the trainers headed down the road. The faster they could to the forest the quicker they could go their separate ways.

* * *

As John and Laura ran down the road they approached the Viridian Forest. Trees were the only thing visible for miles and it was starting to get dark. The sunset was the only light left.

"We have about an hour of light left." John said.

Laura nodded as the trainers entered the maze of trees and shrubs. Twigs, leaves, and limbs created noise as John walked forward. Silhouettes of people were visible and they were lurking about.

"Who are they?" Laura asked.

"I'm not sure." John replied as he tried to sneak up closer.

As he tried to tiptoe closer, Laura tripped over a log and pushed John over as she tried to regain her balance.

"Who goes there?!" a man in a dark black uniform with a red "R" shouted as he pointed his flashlight at the trainers.

John gritted his teeth and gulped as he saw several other people in the same uniform behind him. He could tell these weren't just your ordinary people, these had to be some sort of criminals.

"Run!" John shouted as he pushed Laura off of him and got up.

The trainers dashed away from the soldiers as fast as they could and hid behind a tree. As the criminals passed them and disappeared John wiped the sweat off his brow.

"Are you crazy, you could have got us killed!" John shouted.

"It's not my fault I tripped." Laura said.

John shook his head.

"I swear." he muttered.

"Shhhh! I'm trying to hide here." a teenage girl with bright blonde hair, sky blue eyes, a magenta skirt, and cream colored blouse whispered.

As the rivals turned to see who was talking to them, they recognized her immediately.

"Cindy Booker?" they questioned.

* * *

"You know Cindy?" John and Laura asked each other.

Both trainers nodded at each other.

"Save the explanations for later, we need to get out of here." Cindy said.

"Why?" Laura asked.

"Because there are criminals in here that are extremely dangerous." Cindy replied.

"Are they the same guys we saw?" John asked.

"Probably." Cindy said.

"Who are they?" John asked.

"They call themselves Team Rocket." she answered sternly.


	4. Rescues and Rival Battles

"Who is Team Rocket?" Laura asked.

"A band of dangerous criminals that use Pokémon for their evil plans. They have the dream of enslaving the entire Kanto region." Cindy replied.

John peeked around the corner and groaned.

"Those thugs are returning and it looks like have a Pokémon." John whispered.

"Where are they?" Laura asked.

John facepalmed as his rival caught the attention of the criminals.

"Search the perimeter for intruders, make sure that there isn't anyone watching us." one of the men said.

"Alright boss." three other goons replied.

John smirked as he hid behind a tree and inched his way closer to the leader of the goons. He saw the man had a small yellow Pokémon with pink cheeks stuffed in a net.

"Pichu!" it shouted.

"Shut up you stupid runt, or I'll throw you to the Beedrill." the man scoffed at the tiny Pokémon.

"We have to help that poor...!" Laura shouted before John elbowed her in the ribs.

"Who goes there?!" the man shouted.

"Why did you do that?!" Laura shouted at John.

The grunts returned to their leader and surrounded John, Laura, and Cindy.

"This is all your fault!" John shouted at his rival.

"My fault?!" Laura demanded.

"You had to shout like a Loudred!" John hollered.

"Now is not the time to argue." Cindy told the two bickering trainers.

The four Team Rocket agents sent out several Crobat.

"Chatot, it's gameday!" John shouted as he threw a Pokeball.

"Use Peck!" John commanded as he pointed at one of the Crobat.

"Bulbasaur, follow suit with Razor Leaf!" Laura hollered as she threw a Pokeball.

Two of the four Crobat were defeated by the attacks.

"Oshawott use Water Pulse!" Cindy shouted as she threw a Pokeball.

The water starter from Unova threw an orb of water that swept the Team Rocket goons away. John ran over and grabbed the net Pichu was trapped in before chasing after the others.

"You're safe now." John told the Pokémon in the net.

As the trio finally seemed to be safe, Cindy tripped over a log and sprained her ankle.

"What happened?" Laura asked.

"What do you think happened, she tripped over that log." John replied.

As Cindy tried to get up, she yelped in pain.

"I can't put any weight on it." Cindy said.

"What are we going to now?" Laura asked.

"I need a two large, sturdy branches." Cindy said.

John smirked as he thought he knew what she was referring to.

"You're going to try to use them as crutches." John said.

Cindy nodded.

"You can count on me." John said.

The trainer started to push leaves and sticks aside. He glanced behind him to see his rival sitting on the ground nonchalantly pushing leaves around.

"I can't find any branches." Laura groaned.

"Maybe you'd find them if you got up and actually looked." John replied with a grin.

"I'm looking! It's dark, I'm tired, and I can't find them!" Laura growled.

John rolled his eyes as he and Chatot found two large branches.

"Let's go." John said.

The two trainers returned with the branches.

"I did most of the work, this loser was too scared to even look." Laura said as she pointed at John.

The trainer growled at his rival as he handed Cindy the branches.

"You need to get a life." John said.

Cindy was able to put her weight on them and the trio managed to escape the forest just as the sun set. The trio entered Pewter City and sat on a bench.

"Thanks for all your help." Cindy said.

"Don't mention it, even if John didn't really do anything." Laura said.

"Hey, I'm pretty sure you're the one who caused trouble." John replied.

"You two seem to argue a lot, some say that's a sign that two people really care about each other." Cindy said.

"Well, they're wrong!" John and Laura shouted as they turned their backs on each other.

John returned Chatot to its Pokeball and waved as Cindy turned to leave.

"What am I going to do with you?" John asked the tiny mouse-like Pokémon as he released him from the net.

"Chu. Pichu." it muttered as it climbed up on John's shoulder.

"I think I'll keep you." John muttered.

"No way, if anyone is catching Pichu it's me!" Laura hollered as she swiped Pichu and set the mouse next to her.

"We'll settle who catches Pichu in a battle." John said.

"Fine." Laura said as she nodded at Bulbasaur.

"Chatot, it's gameday!" John shouted as he threw a Pokeball.

"Pretty lame battle cry, loser." Laura taunted.

"If you don't play sports you wouldn't understand." John said with a chuckle.

"Still lame." Laura said.

"Chatot use Peck." John commanded.

The parrot Pokémon dove straight at Bulbasaur and hit it with its beak.

"Bulbasaur use Vine Whip." Laura said.

Chatot twirled through the air to dodge Bulbasaur's attacks.

"Bulbasaur use Razor Leaf." Laura commanded.

The grass type threw several sharp leaves at Chatot that hit it.

"Chatot use Peck." John said calmly.

"Bulbasaur use Vine Whip and throw Chatot to the ground." Laura ordered.

The grass starter wrapped Chatot up with green vines and spun it around before tossing Chatot to the ground.

"Chatot use Peck!" John hollered.

"Bulbasaur use Tackle!" Laura ordered.

Chatot's beak glowed a bright white as it flew towards Bulbasaur. The grass type lunged at Chatot and collided with it. Both starters struggled to get up and fainted at the same time.

"Return." the trainers said as they held up a Pokeball and watched the red beam engulf the starters.

"Now how do we decide who gets Pichu?" Laura asked.

"We see who the Pichu wants to travel with." John replied.

The tiny mouse glanced at the two trainers and ran over to John's side.

"Fine. Be that way, I don't need a loser weakling Pichu." Laura huffed.

The electric mouse growled at Laura and zapped her with a Thundershock.

"You look SHOCKED that Pichu would pick a real trainer." John said.

"I'll see ya later, and by see ya I mean beat ya." Laura teased as she spun Bulbasaur's Pokeball on her finger.

John rolled his eyes as he watched his rival leave.

"Some people need to grow up." John muttered as he turned to find the Pokémon Center.

* * *

_Author's Note: So now John has a Pichu. I love Pichu and its evolved forms. John and Laura are basically the kids in class that can't stand each other and Laura's personality is basically the person in class that is extremely critical of everybody._


	5. Pewter City

John smirked as he got up. A goodnight's sleep at a Pokémon Center left him feeling recharged. John dashed out of the Pokémon Center in hopes of challenging the gym leader. He wandered around Pewter City until he found he assumed was the gym. As he tried to open the door he realized that the gym was closed. The door was locked and it appeared that the gym was empty.

"The gym is closed. I already tried contacting the gym leader." a boy with dark brown hair, grey eyes, a red shirt, and blue jeans said.

As John turned to see who was talking to him, he almost fell over. It was his old friend from school.

"Jay, I thought you headed to Johto." John said.

"I did, not quite my best performance. Blastoise and I got our butts kicked." Jay replied.

John nodded and chuckled.

"The Cerulean City gym is open. You'd probably be able to get a gym badge there considering how poorly the gym is run. You could blink at the gym leader and get a badge." Jay said.

"What do you mean?" John asked.

"The gym leaders don't really care about how the gym is run." Jay said as he scowled just thinking about it.

"I think I should give 'em an old fashioned rant." John said.

"Tried it, they don't care. They told me to either take a badge or wait until their sister returned from her trip with her boyfriend in Johto."

"Gees, what kind of joke are they running over there?" John asked.

"That's what I said." Jay replied with a chuckle.

"I'll steer clear." John said.

Jay nodded and pulled out a map. He pointed at Pewter City.

"You might want to check this place out." Jay said.

"The Pewter City Museum of Science." John read out loud.

John nodded and smiled.

"I'll check it out." John said.

"See you around, I'm headed to Saffron to get a badge. If the gym's open, that is." Jay said before turning to leave.

John turned and walked down the road. He spotted a large building with a burgundy-colored roof. As John entered it his jaw dropped in awe of the amount of fossils. He stared at several golden stone-like fossils.

"Old amber, if I'm not mistaken." John muttered as he recalled several studies on the said fossil.

John remembered the small chunk of the said fossil he had in his collection of rocks from when he traveled to Hoenn with his parents. He sighed as he thought about his parents, his aunt and uncle that moved to Hoenn, and the vacation time there. John looked through the display cases at several gems. The elemental gems always fascinated John, he had a entire collection back home.

"The fire gem is quite lovely, isn't it?" a girl asked.

John nearly fell over from being startled.

"I thought you left?" John asked Cindy.

"I did, but I returned, didn't I?" she replied.

John shook his head and laughed. Laugh, that was something he really hadn't been able to do since he was a little kid. He could let out a small chuckle, but he hadn't laughed for a while. Especially considering the nightmares he had been through over the past few years.

"So what are doing here?" John asked.

"My next contest is here." Cindy replied.

John nodded to his friend.

"I'm sure you'll win." John said.

"Can you believe that it was only about six year ago that our families met?" Cindy asked.

"No." John replied.

Cindy noticed a certain difference in John's behavior upon mentioning his family.

"How are your parents?" Cindy asked.

John cringed at the very thought of his parents' disappearance. He felt horrible just thinking about the foreclosure and the plane crash but he couldn't fall apart here.

"They're fine." John lied.

"That's good to hear." Cindy said.

"I've gotta leave, the gym is probably open." John said as he left the museum.

The emotions started to build so John did what he usually did to unwind. He pulled out his MP3 player and started to listen to music. John headed back to gym and noticed it appeared to be open. As he entered the gym, he pretty much had it figured out what kind of gym leader he'd be dealing with. John saw a man with spiky brown hair, squinty eyes, a tan shirt, and black pants hand a trainer a badge. John groaned as he realized who it was.

"Hey, wait a minute! Now I have a badge and you don't!" Laura taunted as she stuck tongue out at John.

"Keep talkin'. You're all talk, no show." John said.

"We'll see about that!" Laura shouted.

"Yeah we will, when I beat you at the Indigo League." John replied calmly.

"That'll never happen!" Laura shouted.

John snickered at that remark.

"I'm going to get a badge here anyway, so it's not a big deal that you have one." John said.

"That I want to see, a flying type and an electric type beating a rock type." Laura muttered.

John took a few steps towards the battlefield and smirked.

"Are you the gym leader?" John asked.

"Yes." the man replied.

"I challenge you to a Pokémon battle." John said calmly.

"I accept your challenge." the man replied as he reached for a Pokeball and threw it.

A white flash of light revealed a large Golem that glared at John. The trainer from Pallet Town nodded and reached for a Pokeball. John knew Chatot had an attack that could turn the entire tide of the battle if he just timed his attacks right.

"Chatot, it's gameday!" John shouted as he threw the orb from a sidearm angle.

John watched as his rival sat in the stands just waiting for John to slip up.

"We've got to win this battle, Chatot." John said.

The bird nodded as it hovered above the battlefield.


	6. Battle For the Boulderbadge

"Golem use Tackle." the gym leader commanded.

Chatot flapped its wings to lift itself higher into the air and avoided being crushed under Golem's weight.

"Chatot use Air Cutter." John said calmly as he smirked.

The music note Pokémon flapped its wings and fired disks of air at Golem. Chatot launched disks as it circled Golem and John spotted an opening.

"Chatot use Peck." he said confidently.

The bird dove down through the air and jabbed Golem with its beak.

"Golem use Stone Edge." the gym leader bellowed.

Golem surrounded itself in stone shards and fired them like missiles. Chatot managed to dodge the first four stones but was clipped by the last one. Chatot plummeted to the ground like a downed plane. The bird struggled to get up, but John shook his head.

"We can beat him, Chatot." John said with a grin.

The bird got up as it knew its trainer had confidence in it.

"Chatot use Air Cutter." John commanded.

Chatot took to the sky and pelted Golem with the disks of air.

"Stone Edge." the gym leader ordered.

"Take the hit." John said.

Chatot looked back at John in doubt, but the trainer's grin reassured it. The bird took the damage from one of the stones and shook off the hit.

"Mimic." John said.

The bird nodded as it glowed from the tan aura that surrounded it as it fired stones at Golem. As Golem was dealing with Stone Edge, John had one last trick up his sleeve.

"Chatot use Steel Wing." John commanded.

The bird nodded as it dove straight at Golem and extended its wings. Chatot clipped Golem with its right wing and watched it slide backwards.

"Golem use Hyper Beam!" the gym leader shouted.

John winced as he realized his attack wasn't enough and Golem still was up. A bright red beam of destruction engulfed Chatot and sent it crashing into the ground.

"Chatot!" John shouted as he rushed to his starter's side.

John gritted his teeth because of his mistake. How could he have been so stupid? Only an idiot wouldn't plan ahead. The trainer picked up his injured Pokémon and dashed out of the gym. As he walked to the Pokémon Center, doubt started to fill his mind. How could he win the Indigo League if he couldn't beat the first gym leader? As if on cue, his rival entered the Pokémon Center.

"That was the worst battle I've ever seen. You're pathetic. Indigo League? Not with your skills." Laura taunted before leaving the lobby for one of the Pokémon Center's rooms.

John sighed as he slumped down in a chair. The battle played through his mind like a movie. There was no way he'd have a shot at winning the Indigo League. As he claimed his Pokémon, he left the Pokémon Center. As he exited the Pokémon Center, he was stopped by Cindy.

"How'd your gym battle go?" she asked.

"It was..." John said before being interrupted.

"Terrible, he and his Pokemon looked like total losers!" Laura interjected.

Usually, John would have found a clever comeback, but he was too depressed to even respond. The trainer from Pallet Town left the two other trainers as he stormed off. The sky darkened as a light mist sprinkled down from the clouds. John felt a tear fall down his cheek. As hard as he tried to bottle up his emotions, he struggled to keep his composure right now. He would have to go home and tell his grandmother how he failed to win the Indigo League. How could he ever do that? He had to win and the way him and his Pokémon looked it'd never happen. He could tell the emotions were pouring out. He didn't have time for emotions. As John sat down, on a bench as from the middle of the city as he could he noticed someone approaching him.

"John, are you okay?" Cindy asked.

John turned away and nodded.

"I know you better than that, you're usually quiet but not this quiet. I could tell something was wrong at the museum." Cindy said.

"There's nothing wrong." John lied.

Cindy sat next to her childhood friend and shook her head.

"I won't think any less of you. You can trust me." Cindy said.

John sighed and tried to think where to even start.

"I'm not traveling for me." John said. "It's for my family. If I had my way I'd be home preparing for baseball season again."

"What?" Cindy asked in minor shock.

"I'm not doing this for me, my family needs the money." John muttered.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Cindy asked.

John shook his head.

"No. I'm fine. In a matter of fact, I'm more than fine." John replied.

Suddenly, it dawned on him. He knew how he would beat the gym leader. It was all about speed. Golem might be stronger, but it sure as heck wasn't faster. With that bit of information, John smirked and noticed Cindy was smiling as well. The trainer from Pallet's fire was back.

* * *

_Author's Note: I'm starting to think of the Gary/Blue theme every time John's rival, Laura shows up. That and the Gary/Blue battle theme._


	7. Goodbye Pewter City, Hello Indigo League

John Easton glared at the gym leader as he held a Pokeball in his right hand. The trainer from Pallet Town's face went blank as usual. He was VERY good at hiding his fear in battle. Must have been the years of baseball and trials.

"Chatot, it's gameday." John said as he threw a Pokeball.

The gym leader sent out his Golem to counter John's Chatot. The trainer from Pallet smirked slightly knowing he had the exact matchup he wanted.

"Golem use Stone Edge." the gym leader commanded.

Golem surrounded itself with shards of stone and spun them around before launching them like missiles at Chatot.

"Chatot use Air Cutter." John said coldly.

The music note Pokémon threw disks of air at the stone shards to counter the attack. The collision of the attacks kicked up a fine dust that blocked Golem's vision.

"Chatot use Steel Wing." John said.

The parrot-like Pokémon dashed straight at Golem and clipped it with its wing. Golem slid backwards but remained on its feet.

"Golem use Hyper Beam." the gym leader commanded.

Golem started to charge up the bright red beam of destruction.

"Chatot up." John said calmly.

The bird soared through the air and increased its altitude. Golem fired the energy beam, but Chatot twirled to dodge the attack. Chatot dove straight at Golem with another high powered Steel Wing and rammed into it. John let out a sigh of relief and planned his moves carefully.

"Air Cutter." John said.

Chatot circled Golem and flapped its wings to create sharp disks that pelted the boulder-like Pokémon.

"Stone Edge." the gym leader said.

Golem fired sharp rocks at Chatot that hit it and caused the bird to plummet to the ground.

"Get up, Chatot! You can win this!" John shouted.

The bird laid on the ground motionless as Golem started to stomp the ground.

"Golem use Rollout." the gym leader said.

The bird was ran over like a road and all seemed to be lost for John as Golem turned back around and locked onto Chatot for another steamrolling attack.

"Agility!" John hollered.

Chatot opened its eyes and glided away from trouble. Chatot's speed started to increase as it circled the battlefield.

"Golem use Stone Edge." the gym leader commanded.

Golem waited for the right moment and fired the missile-like shards of rock.

"Chatot use Agility." John said confidently.

The bird maneuvered its way through the stones and began to make its way towards Golem.

"Transfer your speed into Steel Wing." John said as he pointed at Golem.

The bird slammed its right wing into Golem before the rock type could blink. The megaton Pokémon rolled across the battlefield like a tumbleweed and finally swirls were visible in its eyes. John sighed knowing his first gym battle was over. He would live to see another day.

"Congratulations. That was an impressive trick." the gym leader said.

"Thanks, I honestly didn't think I'd be able to pull it off with the power of Golem lurking if I failed." John said.

The gym leader nodded as he held a grey rock-shaped badge.

"I believe you've earned this." he said as he handed John the badge.

"Thank you...uh.." John said as he couldn't think of his name.

Come to think of it, he never told him what his name was.

"The name's Flint." the gym leader said.

"John Easton." the trainer replied as he took the badge and shook his hand.

John returned Chatot to its Pokeball and turned to leave the gym. As he stepped outside, he was almost ran over by a bicyclist.

"Watch where you're going!" John shouted.

The girl stopped and chuckled.

"I see you don't have a bike, all the talented trainers have bikes." Laura said.

"Right." John replied sarcastically.

"Now that I've got a bike, and all my Pokémon are healed up I can't get out of here. See you later, loser!" Laura shouted as she sped off down the road.

John rolled his eyes, he didn't need a bike. But considering that he only had about three four months tops to get to the Indigo Plateau he had to get to get to the next town. As he walked down the road, he looked back at the town and waved.

"Goodbye, Pewter City. Hello, Route Three." John muttered as he continued down the road.

* * *

Fortunately, there was plenty of daylight left and the way John traveled he could be at Mt. Moon by nightfall. John began to think and decided to let his Pichu join him. He would have had Chatot join him, but it was exhausted from battling. John pressed the button to open Pichu's Pokeball and the mouse climbed up onto John's shoulder. The grass rustled as the breeze picked up. The trees swayed and it caused Pichu to point at them.

"Pichu." the mouse squeaked.

John looked up at the tree and flinched. A large Beedrill's nest hung from the branches. John and Pichu tiptoed past the hive until they managed to get at least fifty feet or so from the hive.

"See nothing to worry about." John said.

"Chu." the mouse replied as it nodded.

As the duo continued their march towards Mt. Moon, a shadow of a large bug-shaped Pokemon lurked behind them.


	8. Beedrill and the Blitz Through Mt Moon

John walked through the grass along the side of the road and took a deep breath. The weather was peaceful and the breeze made him drowsy.

"Pichu, pi." the mouse squeaked.

John chuckled as Pichu climbed up an apple tree and snagged one of the red fruits. The electric type zapped the apple before taking a bite. The mouse's eyes widened as it looked behind John.

"Chu! Pichu-pi!" the electric type screeched in a panic as it pointed behind John.

"What is it?" John asked.

"Pichu, pi!" the mouse squeaked as it dropped its apple and pointed behind John again.

John turned around and looked around. Nothing was there except the swaying blades of grass and the trees.

"Ha ha. Very funny, Pichu." John replied sarcastically.

Pichu's ears twitched and the mouse munched on its apple as they walked down the road. As Pichu finished its apple it worked itself up into a frenzy again.

"What is it?" John asked.

Pichu pointed behind John. The trainer turned around and groaned. Still nothing there.

"Okay, enough Pichu." John said.

Pichu shook its head and pointed at the trees.

"Pichu." the mouse muttered.

"Sure you saw something." John replied as he continued walking down the road.

Pichu started to freak out again after walking about twenty feet down the road.

"No. Nice try." John said as he smirked.

"Pichu!" the tiny mouse squeaked.

The sound of humming got John's attention. A large bug with yellow and black stripes glared at John. The trainer nearly fell backwards as he tried to back away from the Beedrill. The bug type had a dark pair of sunglasses like the ones from the optometrist's office covering its eyes. John and Pichu bolted down the road in a panic. They his behind a tree and let out a sigh of relief. Pichu looked to its right and saw the bug type hovering a few feet away.

"Pichu!" the electric type shouted.

John dashed down the road with Pichu in arms only to trip over a hole in the road. The bug type inched closer to John and the trainer covered his face and hoped he wouldn't get stung. The Beedrill handed him his backpack and buzzed.

"Huh?" John questioned at the bug type's gesture.

Suddenly, it was all coming back to him. There was only one only Beedrill this calm. This had to be the injured Weedle he raised into a Beedrill when he was younger.

* * *

**Flashback**

John hit a wiffleball off a tee and watched as the ball landed in front of a small shrub. The boy bolted over to grab his ball only to see a Weedle being attacked by a Spearow.

"Leave it alone!" John shouted as kicked the flying type like a soccer ball and watched it fly away.

John reached down and carried the Weedle back to the house.

* * *

"Are you the same Beedrill?" John asked.

The bug type buzzed and nodded.

"Pichu." the mouse muttered as it hid behind John's leg and peeked out.

"Don't worry, this is an old Pokémon of mine. I had to let it go once my parents found out it evolved because they thought it'd attack me. But before it left I gave him these glasses I got from the eye doctor after an appointment so I could recognize him once I left for my journey." John said.

"Pichu." the mouse said as it wearily approached Beedrill.

The bug type buzzed as if it was greeting it.

"Hey, do you want join us?" John asked his old childhood Pokémon.

The bug type buzzed and appeared to stay in place. John tossed a Pokeball near it and watched as it touched the orb. The bug was sucked inside and the orb shook and flashed until it made a clicking sound.

"I caught a Beedrill!" John shouted as he pretended to swing for the fences like a baseball player.

As John continued his walk towards Mt. Moon, he noticed the terrain started to change. Grassy meadow transitioned to rocky slopes. The flat road transitioned into an upward climb. John entered the dark opening of Mt. Moon and smirked. He was ahead of schedule as usual. He could be out of here in an hour, provided he didn't get lost. The darkness actually felt somewhat disorienting. John reached for a flashlight and lit the path ahead of him. He treaded through the cave until the sight of about one hundred eyes glared at him.

"Zubat." John muttered as he glared at the bat Pokémon hanging from the ceiling.

The sound of footsteps echoed through the cave, much to John's annoyance. He didn't want the Zubat to awaken. The faint orange glow of the opening to the cave started to disappear and John couldn't tell if it was because of the night setting in or if he was really far into the cave. The longer he wandered through the cave the more he wanted to get to Cerulean City. The stale air and narrow walkways were killing him, he hoped to Arceus he never had to enter one of these caves again. As John climbed up a rock face, he saw a faint glow. A white glow of light that meant one thing. An opening.

* * *

The terrain began to shift as John exited the cave, the rocky pathways gave way to pavement. The stale air of the cavern was replaced with a fresh sea breeze. The stories about fishing in Cerulean City alone, was enough to make him want to get a vacation house here. John yawned and stretched as he approached the Pokémon Center. All he could think about was sleep, and that's what he'd do once he got a room.

"Tomorrow I'll worry about the gym. Tonight...I sleep." John said after requesting a room.


	9. Turned the Dile!

John packed his backpack with new supplies and smirked. Claiming the second gym badge would be a piece of cake considering he had an electric type. The trainer from Pallet Town glanced at the Dewgong sign on the top of the roof and chuckled.

"Just what I thought." John muttered as he entered the gym.

John glanced over the gym and flinched. It seemed messy, cluttered, and it seemed empty. The trainer shook his head and groaned.

"Hello?!" John shouted.

A woman with blonde hair, emerald green eyes, a navy blue blouse, and white skirt entered what John assumed was the lobby.

"You must be, like, a challenger." the woman said.

"Yeah, you could say that." John deadpanned.

"The gym badges are, like, over there. Feel free to take one." the woman said.

John face palmed and growled.

"You just hand badges out?" John questioned.

"Yeah, what do we look like, gym leaders?" the woman asked.

John huffed and chuckled nervously. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Where in the world is the gym leader?!" John asked in an annoyed tone.

"She's, like, in Johto with her boyfriend or what not." the woman replied.

"When will the gym leader be back?" John asked.

"She should be back in a month or two." the woman said.

John nodded and turned to leave. He shook his head and smirked. He definitely understood why Jay headed to Saffron City instead of stopping by Cerulean City. He actually wished he didn't have to return, the gym leader must have been REALLY irresponsible considering who he or she put in charge.

"Go figure. Now what?" John wondered.

The splashing and gushing sound from the water caught John's attention. Of course! He'd fish to pass some time before his next stop.

* * *

The trainer from Pallet Town held a fishing pole and grinned as he flicked his wrist. He watched a bright colored lure create ripples in the water as it hit the water. John sat patiently as he waited for a bite. Unfortunately, not even a lousy Magikarp seemed to bite. The eleven-year old sat on the bank of the river and sighed. There had to be something here. As John started to fall asleep, a sharp tug woke him up. No, this wasn't a dream or strand of a seaweed this was a Pokémon. John's line swayed back and forth as something continued to tug on the line. John tried to reel the Pokémon in but his reel would barely turn. The trainer pulled back with his fishing rod and managed to yank in a small blue crocodile. John immediately reached for his Pokedex and scanned the Pokémon.

**Totodile, the Big Jaw Pokémon. Its well-developed jaws are powerful and capable of crushing anything. Even its Trainer must be careful**

John smirked as he glared at the water Pokémon, he knew very well that Totodile's were unheard of around Kanto. So catching this Pokémon was a must. The trainer reached for a Pokeball and threw it.

"Pichu?" the mouse asked as it looked around.

The electric type glanced over at Totodile and smirked.

"Pichu, pi, Pichu, pi!" the tiny mouse shouted.

"Pichu use Thundershock." John said calmly in a soothing tone as he pointed at the big jaw Pokémon.

The mouse charged static electricity in its cheeks and fired a small lightning bolt at Totodile. The lightning flowed through Totodile's body and zapped it. The water type shook off the attack and spit a high-powered stream of water at Pichu. Pichu was drenched by the jet of water and tumbled across the ground.

"Pichu, get up and use Thunder Wave!" John shouted.

The tiny mouse Pokémon nodded as it leaped to its feet and fired at bright blue bolt of electricity that engulfed Totodile. The lightning flowed through its body and immobilized it giving John another opportunity to strike.

"Pichu use Iron Tail." John said with a smirk.

The mouse trotted towards Totodile and twirled as it prepared to strike it with its tail. Totodile snapped out of its status condition and side-stepped the solid metal tail of Pichu. The water type spit a mouthful of ice water at Pichu that sent it flying towards the river. John dove to block Pichu from plunging into the fast moving river and sighed out of relief.

"Are you okay, Pichu?" John asked.

The mouse nodded and turned its attention on Totodile.

"Thundershock." John commanded.

The mouse's cheeks sparked before it electrocuted Totodile. While the water type stumbled around from being shocked, John threw a Pokeball at the water type. The red and white orb hit the ground and began to shake. A faint humming sound echoed through the air as the orb flashed until finally a loud click indicated the capture of the water type. John smirked as he picked up the Pokeball and put it in his jacket pocket. John resisted the urge to act like he was swinging for the fences like a baseball player and packed his fishing pole away. He now had a water type, electric type, a flying type, and a bug type. He was as ready as ever to take on the league. As he turned to leave, he was stopped by an old friend.

"Back from Saffron already?" John asked.

"I travel fast." Jay replied with a grin.

John nodded before he walked to the Pokémon Center with his former classmate.

* * *

_Author's Note: Two things I'm going to address before I get flames like: What is a Totodile doing in Kanto that's a Mary Sue/Gary Stu setup! Not really, Totodile will have a former owner.(No spoilers) And last chapter there was a calm Beedrill. In the world of Pokémon it's said a Pokémon takes after its owner, blah blah blah, you get the point. John is calm but extremely competitive and it was raised from a Weedle._


	10. Saffron City

"So how's your trip so far?" Jay asked.

John took a few seconds to think before answering.

"Good." John said as he entered the Pokémon Center.

He was stretching the truth a bit. It's not that John didn't like traveling or battling, it was just never a career he would have chose. The lobby seemed empty as the trainers entered the Pokémon Center. Only a Nurse Joy was there.

"May I help you two with anything?" she asked.

John and Jay handed over their Pokémon so they could get a routine checkup. The trainers walked down the hallway and entered the cafeteria. John grabbed a tray and walked down the buffet.

"Have you ever seen a Totodile in Kanto?" John asked.

"In Kanto, no." Jay said.

"That's what I thought." John said.

"Why?" Jay questioned.

"Today, I went fishing and caught a Totodile that was swimming in the river." John answered.

"That's strange." Jay said.

John nodded as he scooped several different things on his plate. As Jay sat next to him at a table, he opened a book.

"You don't think someone released it. do you?" Jay asked.

"That's the only way I could see a Totodile showing up in Kanto." John replied.

Jay nodded as he took a bite of food.

"What do you know about Team Rocket?" John asked.

Jay coughed as he took a sip of juice and shook his head.

"Team Rocket?!" Jay gasped.

"Yeah." John said.

"Those guys are nothing but bad news. Rumor on the street has it, some dude from Johto just barely stopped them from taking a legendary. They say if he hadn't stopped them, say goodbye to freedom. They'd take over." Jay said.

"You really believe everything you hear?" John asked.

Jay shook his head.

"This isn't just a game of telephone. I heard that from the professor himself." Jay said.

As Jay took another bite of food, he paused.

"Where did you hear about these guys?" Jay asked.

"I didn't hear about them so much as encountered them." John replied with a smirk.

That statement caused Jay to almost fall backwards off the bench.

"You're kidding me!" Jay gasped.

"No. Laura almost got us captured by those goons." John said.

Jay rolled his eyes and groaned.

"Go figure." he muttered.

As John finished his meal, he got up to throw his tray in the sink.

"John."

The trainer turned to face his rival/friend and nodded.

"I'll see you at the Indigo Plateau." Jay added.

John smirked as he walked back into the lobby and claimed his Pokémon.

"Your Pokémon are as healthy as ever." Nurse Joy said.

"Thanks." John said as he took his Pokémon and left.

* * *

The trainer got on a train headed to Saffron and sat in the back. As the train started to fill with passengers he saw a man and woman enter that reminded him of his parents, and John began to daydream. He could see the news footage like a highlight reel. He saw the burning remains of the wreck, the breaking news headline, and the haunting words that came hours later. No survivors. He was smart enough even at that age to know what that meant. It still continued to haunt him like a bad dream. Why did it happen to him? Why did it take his parents? The rumble of the train on the tracks reminded him of the thunderstorm that day. As the train came to a screeching halt, John snapped out of his daydreams and realized he was in Saffron City. As the trainer got out of the train, he sighed. There was no time for emotions, he had a gym battle to win. As he opened a handbook, he flipped to the page on Saffron City.

"Saffron City, home to Sabrina the gym leader." John read out loud.

John closed the book and put it in his backpack. As John looked up, he glanced over the multiple skyscrapers, stores, and restaurants. Immediately, he felt lost. He wasn't used to the giant cities like this.

"Well, finding the gym wont' be easy." John muttered.

As he wandered around, he saw an airplane flying overhead. That gave John and idea to find the gym.

"Why didn't I think of that before?" John asked himself.

John reached for Chatot's Pokeball and tossed it up into the air. The orb opened revealing the parrot Pokémon.

"Chatot." it said as it landed on John's shoulder.

"Hey, buddy. I'm going to need your help." John said.

The bird nodded in response.

"Can you fly up in the air to help me find the gym?" John asked.

"Chat." the bird replied as it nodded and took off.

John watched the bird fly up as high as it could, and the parrot made a few turns. John followed the music note Pokémon to a large dome-shaped building.

"Thanks." John said as he held up a Pokeball and returned Chatot.

As John entered the building, he groaned. He found himself in a large cubicle-like room with only torches for light. The strange metallic pads in front of the wall interested John.

"I wonder if this is a puzzle." John said as he stepped on one of the pad hoping a door would open.

As he stood on the pad a bright green light flashed from the pad before a beam engulfed him.

* * *

_Author's Note: Nintendo has announced that it is making a goofy looking 2DS. It's a bulkier 3DS without the 3D. Pure genius Nintendo. Sarcasm over. John has now arrived in Saffron City. Will he succeed at winning the Marsh Badge?_


	11. Here We Go Again

John found himself standing on another transporter and he shook his head. He tried to regain his bearings as he stepped down from the metallic platform.

"Where the heck am I?" John asked himself.

He found himself standing in a room with a dirt battlefield. He eyed a trainer with a pink top, black hair, pink eyes, and white pants. Her wristbands seemed to give off a faint green glow.

"So another challenger has arrived." the gym leader said.

John nodded and smirked.

"I am Sabrina, I do not battle, rather I show them my power." the gym leader said as a Pokeball levitated in the air and opened revealing a Mr. Mime.

"I hate to throw him to the wolves so soon, but I'm gonna need his help." John muttered as he threw a Pokeball.

A fairly large black and yellow insect glared at Mr. Mime. Beedrill began to buzz and it nodded at John as if telling him it was ready to take on its foe.

"Beedrill use Agility." John said calmly as he remained emotionless.

The bug type dashed straight at Mr. Mime and was basically invisible.

"Mr. Mime use Barrier." Sabrina said coldly.

The psychic type created a glowing energy shield that increased Mr. Mime's defensive abilities. Beedrill circled Mr. Mime as it waited for an opening.

"Beedrill use Twinneedle." John commanded.

Beedrill dashed towards Mr. Mime and jabbed it in the side with its arms.

"Mr. Mime use Psybeam." Sabrina said.

The barrier Pokémon fired a bright rainbow-colored beam of energy that hit Beedrill.

"Beedrill use X-Scissor." John ordered.

The bug type shook off the attack and crossed its arms. Beedrill's arms glowed a bright blue before it slashed Mr. Mime.

"Mr. Mime use Psywave." Sabrina commanded.

A strange heated energy wave flowed over Beedrill and caused it to collapse.

"Mr. Mime use Zen Headbutt." Sabrina said.

"Get up, Beedrill!" John shouted.

Mr. Mime leaped up into the air and the crown of its head glowed a bright purple. Beedrill managed to roll out of Mr. Mime's path before it slammed its head on the ground.

"Beedrill use X-Scissor!" John shouted.

"Mr. Mime use Headbutt." Sabrina commanded.

Beedrill crossed its arms as it dashed at Mr. Mime and Mr. Mime charged headfirst into Beedrill. The two attacks clashed and created a bright flash of light. As the light faded it revealed that both Pokémon had succumb to their injuries and had fainted. Both trainers returned their Pokémon to their Pokeballs and John reached for another Pokeball.

"Totodile, it's gameday!" John shouted.

The big jaw Pokémon stood in front of its trainer.

"Espeon." Sabrina said as she threw a Pokeball.

"Totodile use Water Gun." John said with a smirk.

The big jaw Pokémon fired at stream of water that pushed Espeon backwards.

"Espeon use Shadow Ball." Sabrina said.

"Dodge it." John said as he shook his head.

The orb of energy exploded and kicked up dirt around Totodile.

"Totodile us Bite." John ordered as he adjusted his glasses.

The big jaw Pokémon clamped down on Espeon's tail causing it to flail around. Totodile seemed to be unaffected by the movement of Espeon.

"Espeon use Iron Tail." Sabrina said.

Espeon leaped up into the air and slammed Totodile on the ground. The big jaw Pokémon brushed itself off as it got up and growled.

"Totodile use Water Gun." John commanded as he pointed at Espeon.

The water type fired a large blast of water at Espeon that drenched it. Espeon slid across the ground and fired a bright colored beam of energy.

"Totodile take the hit, and use Water Gun." John said.

The big jaw braced itself and took the beam straight on.

"Dile!" it shouted as it fired a stream of ice water.

The water soaked Espeon, and knocked it out. Sabrina's eyes widened as she watched Espeon collapse.

"This loss shocks me. Your strength is impressive. You have earned a Marsh Badge." Sabrina said as he handed him a circular golden badge.

John nodded as he took the badge and placed it in his badge case.

"Thanks." John said as he left the gym.

He was surprised he only had a two vs two match. He had been preparing for a much longer fight. John glanced over the buildings in Saffron City and shook his head. The Fighting Dojo, Silph Co, and the magnet train were interesting places to visit but were they really worth his time. The trainer from Pallet had always wanted to see the train station so he decided he would check it out. As he ran towards the tunnel, he bumped into another trainer.

"Laura, what the heck are you doing here?" John asked.

"I was about you the same thing. A loser like you can't possibly have badges from Cerulean, Pewter, Vermilion, and Saffron already." Laura said.

John rolled his eyes and groaned as he started to walk down the steps.

"You don't want to go down there." Laura said.

"Why not?" John questioned as he started to get annoyed.

"Those guys we met in the forest are down there." Laura replied.

John nodded and continued down the steps. Laura stopped him by standing in front of him.

"You're nuts if you're going to try to go down there." she said.

"Why would you care?!" John hissed.

"Uh...a weak little shrimp like you wouldn't stand a chance down there." Laura said.

John pushed his rival aside and shook his head.

"I'm not weak, and I'm only two inches shorter than you." John said coldly.

John slowly approached the rails and spotted several men looking down the tunnel. The trainer put his body against a wall and peeked from behind it to see what the criminals were up to. John rolled his eyes as he noticed that his rival was following him.

"Just don't get in my way." John said coldly.

"Get in your way?!" Laura gasped.

The shout from his rival got the attention of the criminals and John groaned.

"Not again." he muttered.


	12. The Root of Evil

The grunts turned to see the trainers watching their every move. Fear started to creep into John's mind as the thugs sent out Houndoom.

"Run!" John shouted.

The trainers ran through the tunnel as the grunts chased them. John looked back only to see his rival tripped up by the dark-fire type and fall down. The grunts surrounded her and John started to leave the subway tunnel. As he took a step up the concrete stairs, he just couldn't find it in himself to leave. John gulped and turned around. He was always taught to do the right thing and he knew that doing nothing was wrong, no matter what.

"Let me go!" Laura shouted as she squirmed.

John shook off his fear and stepped into the grunts' sight.

"Let her go!" John shouted as he reached for his Chatot's Pokeball.

"Who are you to tell Team Rocket what to do?" one of the thugs asked.

"I'm John Easton and I'm going to give you to the count of three." the trainer said with a smirk.

John threw Chatot's Pokeball and nodded.

"Air Cutter!" John hollered.

The music note Pokémon hit the Houndoom and the grunts. Laura scampered over to her rival's side and reached for a Pokeball.

"Thanks, I guess." Laura muttered as she cringed.

John nodded and pointed at the Team Rocket grunts. Laura threw a Pokeball revealing a Nidorina.

"Helping Hand." Laura said.

The poison type transferred a bright rainbow-colored aura to Chatot.

"Chatot use Steel Wing." John commanded.

The parrot Pokémon clipped one of the Houndoom with its right wing.

"Houndoom use Flamethrower." the grunts commanded.

"Oh no ya don't! Nidorina use Blizzard!" Laura shouted.

The Houndoom combined their Flamethrowers into one big flaming beam, but it was countered with a gust of icy wind.

"Chatot use Agility and transfer the power into Steel Wing." John said coldly.

The flying type got an extra boost of speed before it collided with two of the Houndoom. The Pokémon were sent flying backwards and fainted.

"Nidorina use Double Kick!" Laura hollered.

The poison pin Pokémon unleashed two powerful blows that knocked the final Houndoom out. John smirked as he returned Chatot to its Pokeball and Laura followed suit.

"It's over, losers!" Laura shouted.

"On the contrary." the grunts said as they threw a Pokeball.

Immediately, three Koffing let out a thick smoke that surrounded the trainers. John fell to his knees and coughed. He saw his rival beside him suffering the same problem and everything started to look blurry before he passed out.

* * *

As he woke up, he looked around. It seemed dark and he was trapped in a prison cell. He glanced over and noticed his rival was gone. A man in an orange suit stepped forward. John started to get nervous, but he knew that he had no time for fear right now.

"I've heard a lot about you, kid." the man said.

"Who are you, where am I, and where is Laura?!" John demanded.

"I am Giovanni Suzuki and your precious girlfriend is fine." the man said.

"Laura's NOT my girlfriend and the only Giovanni I've heard of is Geovany Soto." John scoffed.

Giovanni huffed and chuckled.

"You're that Ketchum kid I've heard so much about, aren't you?" Giovanni asked.

"Way to whiff, Sherlock! The name's Easton, John Easton." John replied in a cocky tone as he eyed the silver ring of keys on his belt.

The man growled and gritted his teeth.

"I've heard you have heard about my organization." Giovanni said.

"Word travels fast, and I'm not liking what I'm seeing. Your décor is hideous." John said. "But the décor looks great compared to your minions' uniforms. Red and black doesn't look good on criminals. I prefer prison suit orange."

"Your arrogance angers me." Giovanni said.

"I get that a lot." John replied.

The mob boss started to get annoyed, it appeared the boy had no fear. The mob boss took a step towards the jail cell, but shook his head and left.

"Darn it." John cursed under his breath.

He was hoping the villain would open the jail cell to give him a chance at freedom or at least a shot at swiping the keys on his belt. John sighed as he leaned his back against the wall and looked up at the ceiling.

"At least this can't get any worse." John muttered under his breath.

As soon as the trainer said it, he jinxed it.

"Let me go!" Laura hissed as she was thrown into the same jail cell.

Laura glared at her rival as the grunt closed the cell.

"Why do I have to be in the same cell as him?!" Laura shouted as she pointed at John.

The calmer trainer rolled his eyes and shook his head as he began to think.

"You think this is easy for me?" John asked. "I was on my way to Vermilion City."

"Yeah right." Laura scoffed.

The blonde turned her back on John and sat down.

"You just had to go down there to check out the train station." Laura said.

"How is all of this my fault?!" John demanded.

"You thought we needed to go down there." Laura replied.

"We wouldn't have gotten caught if someone hadn't opened their mouth." John said.

"Don't blame me for this!" Laura hollered.

"You know what, don't even talk to me." John said as he turned his back on his rival and sat down.

He was pretty sick of his rival and he chuckled. It was time to go their separate ways hours ago.


	13. Vermilion City

John sat with his back turned to his rival and sighed. Why didn't he just leave her while he had the chance? The dusty cell was bad enough, but being stuck with his rival was even worse. The trainer from Pallet Town groaned as he face palmed. John realized he still had his Pokémon on him. He stepped forward and smirked.

"What are you doing?" Laura asked as she watched him pace back and forth.

John threw a Pokeball and Chatot landed on his shoulder. He nodded at his partner and it fired a disk of compressed air that sliced through the metal bars.

"He needs to up his security." John muttered.

John slipped down the hallway like he saw in the movies and peeked around the corner. Everything seemed to be clear so John took a step forward.

"Leaving so soon, Mr. Easton." Giovanni said.

"This place is a dump. I'd rather stay at a nicer hotel." John replied with a chuckle.

"I'm afraid I cannot let you leave." Giovanni said.

"Oh, I anticipated that." John said as he returned Chatot to its Pokeball.

The criminal leader threw a Pokeball containing a Persian.

"You make this too easy for me." John replied as he threw a Pokeball containing Totodile.

"Persian use Power Gem." Giovanni commanded.

"Totodile use Water Gun." John said calmly.

The bright pink beam collided with Totodile's stream of blue water. The attacks slowly died down as both Pokémon grew fatigued.

"Totodile use Scratch." John ordered.

The big jaw Pokémon leaped up into the air and took a swipe at Persian with its arms. Its claws grew longer as the attack transformed into the much more potent Slash. Persian hissed as Totodile sent it flying backwards into its master. Giovanni fell over as Persian landed on top of him. John and his Totodile dashed out the building and John grinned as he saw the sunset.

"Not bad for a day's work, now I think we can head to Vermilion." he muttered.

As he looked around he noticed his rival escaping through a window. As she caught up to him, she nodded.

"Thanks." Laura muttered under her breath.

"I didn't really do anything." John said.

"You...could have..left me at the train station." Laura said.

John nodded.

"I might not have..." Laura muttered and stopped her thought. "Thanks."

"I was raised to do what is right." John replied coldly.

Laura nodded and smirked.

"But don't think I won't beat you next time we meet!" Laura exclaimed as she changed the conversation.

John snorted at the comment and shook his head.

"Dream on." John scoffed as the trainers turned their separate ways.

* * *

John backtracked through Saffron City as he made his way towards Vermilion City. As John entered the Pokémon Center, he dropped his Pokémon off to be healed. He overheard a voice that caught his attention.

"A Totodile that only knew Water Gun?" a boy questioned.

"Yeah, why else would I ditch it in Cerulean City?" a teen with short brown hair, black eyes, a black shirt, and tan pants replied.

"So you're the trainer that owned my Totodile?" John questioned.

"Yeah, I'm surprised someone would want it." the teen replied as he turned around to face John.

"You can't expect a Pokémon to become a powerhouse overnight, that's why you train your Pokémon." John said coldly.

The teen looked into John's eyes and growled.

"We meet again, John Easton." the teen scoffed.

"I was about to say the same thing, Tannen." John replied.

"I would expect you to believe the crap the champions sell." the teen snickered.

"I expected you'd ignore their teaching so you could get worse as a trainer, Donald." John replied.

"I'm the best trainer you've ever seen." Donald boasted.

John shook his head.

"Most egotistical perhaps, but not the strongest." John corrected.

"Why don't you prove it?" Donald asked.

"Because you've already done it for me." John said.

"Whatever, I can see you're too scared to battle me." Donald taunted.

"If you want to battle so bad, meet me in Vermilion. I'll show you why I'm a better trainer." John said as he claimed his Pokémon and turned to leave.

As he exited the Pokémon Center, John began to think about his journey. He had two badges and needed six more. As he left town, he could see the faces of his parents. A tear fell down his face, he had to win the Indigo League. There was no substitute for victory. John found himself struggling to walk through this trial by fire alone. As he thought about what would happen if he failed, another tear fell down his face. His anger started to build. He rubbed his eyes and gritted his teeth. John reminded himself he didn't have time to grieve, he would have to remain strong in order to function. He had a month in a half left to make it to the Indigo Plateau.

"Vermilion City." John muttered as he read the road sign lit up by the moonlight.

As John entered the city, he looked around. The scent of the sea wafted on the breeze. A wave of exhaustion swept over John before he collapsed.


	14. Catching Confidence!

John could clearly see the faces of his parents, it was as if they were standing right in front of him. He smiled for a second, but a loud rumble of thunder woke him up. The trainer woke up to a dark room that seemed similar to a hospital.

"What happened?" John muttered as he rubbed his head.

"It appears you passed out from exhaustion." Nurse Joy said.

John gulped as he saw Cindy enter the room, he knew she would scold him for this one.

"You're up?" she asked.

John nodded and chuckled nervously.

"I guess I should have stopped to rest in Saffron City." John said.

Cindy sighed as she glared at her childhood friend.

"I've always had to keep an eye on you, haven't I?" Cindy questioned.

"I'm quite capable of taking care of myself. I've always preferred roaming solo and I'm quite capable of doing so." John said.

"Just be careful, John. There's a fine line between pushing your limits and plain stupidity." Cindy said.

"I'll have plenty of time to catch up on my sleep once I've reached the Indigo Plateau." John replied.

"You need to get some rest." Cindy said.

"I know, but I have a deadline." John said.

Cindy groaned as she realized she was getting nowhere with John. John checked the clock and got up. He reached for his backpack and waved.

"I'll see you later." John said as he left the Pokémon Center and stepped out into the rain.

The trainer from Pallet Town heard the rumble of thunder out in the distance and saw flashes of lightning. He didn't let it distract him from searching for the gym as he walked across the street. He could barely see because of how hard it was raining, so John decided to stop by a fairly large restaurant. He figured he could get out of the rain and grab a bite to eat. John sat down at a table and yawned as he glanced over a menu.

"Is this spot taken?" Cindy asked as she pointed at the seat across from John.

John shook his head. Cindy hung her jacket over the back of the chair before sitting down and picking up a menu.

"How are your contests going?" John asked.

"Good, I just need three more ribbons." Cindy replied as she smiled.

John stared at Cindy and began to think. There wasn't a word to describe how he felt around her. His fears seemed to melt away, it sounded cliché and stupid but it was true. He could remember the days their families would spend together. Although, all good things must eventually end. He remembered saying goodbye as Cindy and her family left for Unova.

"John, what's wrong?" Cindy asked.

John's face turned red as he blushed.

"Nothing, I was just thinking." John said.

"You just seem distracted." Cindy replied.

"Me, distracted? Ha!" John chuckled.

A waiter approached the table and held a notepad.

"May I take your order?" the man asked.

"Yeah, I'll have a Reuben sandwich." Cindy said.

"And what would you like, sir?" the waiter asked John.

"I'll have the fish and chips." John replied as he handed the man his menu.

The waiter scribbled the orders down on his notepad and took the menus as he left.

"So how is the road to the Indigo Plateau going?" Cindy asked.

"Good, I guess." John said as he sighed. "I only have two badges so far, and I'm worried. I'm afraid even if I make it to the league I'll lose in the first round."

"Why would you be worried about that?" Cindy asked.

"Because to be entirely honest, I don't think I'm a good trainer. I couldn't beat the first gym." John said.

"You were at a type disadvantage." Cindy replied.

"I still have yet to beat my rival." John added.

"John, quit discouraging yourself. You're a good trainer, you just need to gain a little confidence." Cindy said.

The trainers' conversation was interrupted as the waiter returned with their orders.

"Thank you." the trainers said.

John grabbed a fry and munched on it. The trainers ate their food, but a silence seemed to fall over them. Neither trainer could really think of anything to say.

"Considering that you're in Vermilion City, I was wondering if you'd like to join me on the SS Anne after your gym battle. After all, you will be headed back to Saffron won't you?" Cindy asked.

"Sure, it's a date. Saffron City is close to Celadon City." John replied suddenly realizing what he said.

"A date?" Cindy questioned.

"Not that kind, oh you know what I meant." John said as his face turned red.

"Sure, I know exactly what you mean." Cindy teased.

"Whatever." John muttered as he rolled his eyes.

As the waiter returned with the bill, John opened his wallet and paid for the meals before leaving. As Cindy followed John out the door, she shook her head.

"You didn't have to do that." Cindy said.

"Yeah, I know. Consider it my way of saying thanks for all your advice." John said.

Cindy smiled as she glanced over at John.

"I can't believe how old you've gotten since the last time I saw you." Cindy said.

"We met in Pewter City and the Viridian Forest." John said.

"No, I mean like the old days." Cindy replied.

"Oh." John said.

"Good luck in your gym battle." Cindy said.

"Thanks." John said as he extended his hand.

"See you later." Cindy said as she shook John's hand and turned to leave.

"Now it's time to win my next gym badge." John muttered as he turned to head to the gym.

* * *

_Author's Note: Slow pace this chapter, but it's all to prepare for John's gym battle._


	15. Surge Protector

As John bid Cindy farewell for now, he turned his attention to his next gym battle. He walked down the sidewalk until he entered the Pokémon Center. As he walked through the sliding doors, he bumped into another trainer.

"Say, what gives?!" the trainer gasped. "My loser rival managed to show up?"

John rolled his eyes at Laura's statement and face palmed.

"Don't you have anything better to do with your life than bother me?" John asked.

"Yeah, I've been busy collecting badges." Laura boasted.

"I read in the paper you lost at the Battle Club in Vermilion. Can't beat tough trainers?" John taunted.

"I got distracted by the fans cheering for me." Laura said.

"Fans? I didn't think a joker like you had fans." John replied in an mocking tone.

"Joker?! Take that back! I have four badges!" Laura hollered.

John shook his head and turned to leave.

"Cerulean doesn't count, the gym leader STILL isn't there." John retorted.

"You better hope Lt. Surge doesn't beat you to a pulp." Laura said.

"That won't happen, Pichu, Chatot, and Beedrill will be able to give him a run for his money." John replied confidently as he had his Pokémon healed.

"Yeah, right. That Pichu is still worthless." Laura scoffed.

* * *

After a quick stop at the Pokémon Center, John entered a gym that seemed much more like a dingy factory than a gym. In fact, it looked like a factory with boxing ring set in the middle of it. A man with spiky blonde hair, black eyes, and typically army clothing stood in the middle of the ring. John's eyes widened as he glanced at the gym leader, it looked like he was taken from an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie.

"Well, we have another challenger for me to stomp like a Snorlax!" the man bellowed.

John smirked at his statement, apparently he was like the said actor too.

"I'll be glad to prove you wrong in a battle for the ThunderBadge." John replied.

"Alright, but don't cry to me when you lose." the gym leader said as he reached for a Pokeball.

John reached for a Pokeball and held it in his right hand. As the gym leader sent out his Raichu, John grimaced knowing that none of his Pokémon matched up well against Raichu.

"Pichu, it's time to pull an upset!" John shouted as he flicked his wrist and tossed the orb.

Pichu smirked as it glared at its fully evolved counterpart and growled at it.

"Raichu hit it with a Dunderbolt!" Lt. Surge bellowed.

The mouse Pokémon started to charge up a powerful lightning bolt and it discharged it at Pichu. The tiny mouse felt the effects of the electric type attack and grimaced.

"Pichu, slow Raichu down with a Thunder Wave." John commanded.

The tiny mouse unleashed a bright blue wave of electricity that swept over Raichu and immobilized it.

"Pichu use Iron Tail." John said confidently.

The tiny rodent-like Pokémon twirled and hit Raichu with its tail that was now as hard as steel. John sighed as he began to plan his next move, but much to his surprise Raichu got up.

"Raichu hit it with a Body Slam." Lt. Surge ordered.

Raichu got up and smirked as it ran straight for Pichu. The large rodent lunged forward and landed on top of Pichu. The tiny mouse shook its head and wobbled around as it got up.

"Raichu use Mega Punch!" Surge boomed.

The large electric rodent bashed Pichu with several powerful punches with a last blow that sent Pichu flying across the room. John winced as he watched his battered Pichu try to get up.

"You betta recall your Pokémon before it gets a trip to da emergency room." Lt. Surge said.

"It's okay, Pichu. You don't have to fight." John said.

The tiny mouse turned and glared at John as if it wanted to continue battling.

"Your funeral. Raichu use Dunderbolt." Lt. Surge commanded.

Raichu fired a large yellow lightning bolt at Pichu that electrocuted it and caused it to collapse. The tiny mouse Pokémon growled and shot Raichu a glare before it stood up.

"Raichu use Take Down." Lt. Surge said.

The large rodent scampered in a zig-zag pattern before lunging at Pichu.

"Dodge it, Pichu!" John hollered.

The tiny mouse sidestepped the attack and began to glow a bright white. A bright light, that made both trainers cover their eyes, engulfed Pichu. A taller Pikachu stood in Pichu's place. The now evolved Pokémon smirked as it started to charge up a ball of energy around its tail.

"Woah, what's that?" John asked as he wondered what attack his Pokemon had charged up.

The trainer from Pallet Town scanned Pikachu to get an idea of what its abilities were.

**Pikachu, the Mouse Pokémon, and the evolved form of Pichu. Pikachu's tail is sometimes struck by lightning as it raises it to check its surroundings.**

"Thundershock, Iron Tail, Thunder Wave, and Electro Ball. Not bad." John muttered.

"Raichu hit him with a Dunderbolt!" Surge boomed as he pointed at Pikachu.

The yellow orange-colored mouse Pokémon discharged at bolt of lightning from its cheek pouches that inched closer to Pikachu.

"Let's send that power back, Electro Ball!" John shouted as he clenched his fists.

Pikachu fired a large sphere of electricity that absorbed Raichu's attack and sent it back to it. The orb exploded in a bright flash of light and knocked Raichu out.

"Woah, that Pikachu's got some zap to it." Lt. Surge said.

John nodded as he returned the electric type to its Pokeball.

"You have definitely earned your stripes and thus I present you with this." Lt. Surge said as he handed John a badge.

John took the gold star-shaped badge and put it away in his badge case.

"Thanks." John said as he turned to leave.

As he left the gym, he greeted by Cindy.

"I managed to see the last half of battle." Cindy said.

"Really?" John asked in surprise.

"Yeah, I was impressed. Your Pokémon seem to really like you." Cindy replied.

"I imagine we better catch the boat before it leaves." John said changing the subject.

"Yeah." Cindy said.

"Then what are we waiting for?" John asked.

Cindy smiled at John and giggled.

"That's the John Easton I'm used to seeing." Cindy said as she followed John to the harbor.


	16. Battle on the SS Anne

John stepped onto the dock and glared at the ships moving about the harbor. John turned back to see if Cindy was still following him and motioned for her.

"Check it out." John said as he pointed at the water.

The bright blue hue of the water was complimented by the sun's rays as the sun began to set. The trainers strolled down the dock until they boarded the SS Anne.

"The sunset is beautiful!" Cindy exclaimed.

John nodded in agreement as he leaned over the railing.

"I've been thinking..." Cindy said.

"Yeah." John replied.

"What's the Johto region like?" Cindy asked.

"I heard it's a lot like Kanto, but larger." John said.

Cindy nodded and smiled as she stared at John.

"What are you going to do after you travel around Kanto?" Cindy asked.

"Well..." John said before a voice interrupted him.

"If I didn't know better I'd say you were chickening out on our battle." a teen said.

John growled as he turned to face Donald Tannen.

"Awww, my wimpy little cousin is chickening out isn't he?" Donald taunted.

"No, I'm ready to beat you any day of the week." John replied confidently.

"Then prove it." Donald said.

John stepped a few steps forward and reached for Chatot's Pokeball.

Donald reached for a Pokeball and threw it. A bright flash lit up the ship as a Cyndaquil was released from the orb. John reached for his Pokedex and scanned the rodent-like Pokémon.

**Cyndaquil, the Fire Mouse Pokémon. Normally mild and even-tempered, Cyndaquil will shoot a scorching flame out of its back when upset.**

John shook his head as he grabbed Chatot's Pokeball and unclipped it from his belt.

"Chatot, it's time to run up the score!" John shouted as he threw the orb like a sidearm pitcher.

"Cyndaquil use Ember." Donald said.

The fire type spit hot coals that pelted Chatot before it could even blink and the bird winced in pain.

"Chatot use Air Cutter!" John hollered.

The parrot Pokémon flapped its wings and propelled disks of air at Cyndaquil that exploded as they hit it.

"Cyndaquil, turn up the heat and use Flame Charge." Donald ordered.

The fiery mouse sprinted straight at Chatot and leaped up as high as it could. The heat from the flames surrounding Cyndaquil could be felt even from where John was standing.

"Fight strength with strength. Steel Wing." John commanded in a calm tone.

Chatot slammed its left wing into Cyndaquil despite it being cloaked in flames. The two Pokémon slid across the boat's soaked deck and Chatot struggled to get up.

"Wow, some trainer you are." Donald scoffed as he chuckled. "Cyndaquil use Flamethrower."

The porcupine-like fire type unleashed a powerful breath of flame that surrounded Chatot. John started to sweat in a combination of the heat from Flamethrower and nerves.

"John, you've got to do something!" Cindy hollered.

John turned to look over at his friend and nodded. He spotted the blue waters of the sea and smirked.

"Chatot use your Steel Wing to deflect that attack!" John commanded.

Chatot's wings glowed as it tried to block the attack, and the flames bounced off Chatot's iron-coated wing and blinded Cyndaquil for a second.

"Chatot, fly over the railing of the ship." John said calmly.

The bird glided over to the right and flew the side of the boat.

"Coward." Donald taunted. "Cyndaquil walk over to the rails and use Ember."

Cyndaquil spit red-hot coals over the side of the ship towards Chatot.

"Dodge it." John said. The bird Pokémon glided below the sparks and John smirked. "Use Steel Wing to push water onto Cyndaquil."

The parrot Pokémon skimmed the water with its right wing and splashed Cyndaquil to put out its flames.

"Chatot, end this with Aerial Ace." John commanded.

The music note Pokémon engulfed itself in a bright white light before slamming into Cyndaquil. The fire porcupine slid across the deck and fainted in front of Donald's feet. John smirked as he crossed his arms and glared at Donald.

"Whenever you want your wimpy little cousin to kick your butt you know where to find me." John taunted his older cousin.

"We'll meet again, Easton." Donald hissed.

"And I'll be waiting." John replied as he watched his rival/cousin leave.

"That's what all that noise was." a voice echoed.

Laura kicked back on a recliner and took a sip of water. John's rival chuckled as she approached the duo.

"Why would you hang out with this loser?" Laura asked Cindy.

"Laura, that's not very..." Cindy said before being cut off by John.

"Loser, huh?" John asked.

"Yeah, that's what you are." Laura taunted.

"I know you are but what am I!" John replied as he glared at Laura.

"A loser!" Laura hollered.

"You two argue a lot, don't you?" Cindy asked. "You know some people argue a lot if they care about each other."

The rivals fell over as Cindy suggested they cared.

"That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard!" Laura and John shouted in unison.

"I'll see you goons later." Laura said as she turned to leave.

John shook his head and groaned.

"I'm going to get some rest." John said.

"Goodbye, John." Cindy said as she waved at the trainer.

* * *

The trainer managed to get a room card and sighed as he laid down. As his mind began to wander, he thought about his grandmother. He figured a phone call was the best way to check up on the situation, as the phone went to the answering machine John cringed. His grandmother never let the phone go to the answer machine, he started to get worried as he thought about his grandmother's age. It just made John want to get back home faster.

"It's time to kick this into overdrive." John said as he kicked back and fell to sleep.

* * *

_Author's Note: John just got a win. Honestly, I'm starting to get very worried because my brother said I'm starting to enter gary-stu territory. Any advice to improve and avoid that the dreaded stu-territory? _


	17. Game Corner Mystery

If he could sum up how he was feeling right now he'd use TIRED. The road to find his way back to Saffron was a nightmare especially after his Pokegear's battery died. Trying to navigate without a map was painstaking because it's kind of hard to find your bearings in places you've never been before. John Easton smiled as he saw the bright lights of a Pokémon Center, he could get some sleep once he stopped in. The trainer asked for a room key and collapsed on a bed as he entered an empty room. The trainer drifted off into a deep sleep and he began to dream.

"Chatot use Steel Wing." John commanded.

The parrot Pokémon defeated a powerful Golem with one hit from a powerful Steel Wing. The crowd began to cheer and a loud beeping sound echoed in John's ear. The trainer woke up to the sound of an alarm on his Pokegear that happened to be fully charged. The sunlight that gleamed through the window woke John and caused him to get up. The trainer smiled as he thought about his dream. He knew he was closer than ever to accomplishing his goal, but it still seemed so far away. The eleven-year old got up and left the Pokémon Center. John got distracted as he spotted a machine that was selling newspapers. The trainer dropped a quarter in the machine and pulled out a paper. John turned to his favorite part of the paper and scanned over the headlines.

"Awesome, the Arcanines' magic number is six!" John exclaimed as he checked the pennant races.

The trainer wished he could catch the Arcanines games. He wanted to see them make the playoffs again, after all they made it to the World Series last year. The trainer glanced over the pennant races across the league as he walked down the road. John tucked the paper away in his jacket and sat down to catch his breath. The trainer started to toss stones he picked up off the ground as he huffed just to pass the time. A loud growl was heard when John threw a rock into the shrubs a few feet away. A dog-like Pokémon snarled as it approached John and the trainer whipped out his Pokedex.

**Houndour, the Dark Pokémon. Houndour travel in packs and communicate though barks in order to surround their prey.**

The ferocious dog Pokémon was also backed by several other Houndour that seemed to be with it. The one John hit seemed to be their leader. The leader lunged at John and the trainer managed to dodge its jaws. John reached for Beedrill's Pokeball but he was tackled to the ground by one of the Houndour. A stray blast of energy hit the Houndour's leader and scared it off. A large magnet Pokémon stared at John and another trainer helped him up.

"I guess you didn't hear about the pack of vicious Houndour on Route 7, huh?" Jay asked.

"Oh, silly me." John replied sarcastically as he brushed himself off.

Jay chuckled and returned Magneton to its Pokeball.

"At least you didn't have an encounter with a flock of angry Murkrow like I did earlier." Jay said.

"Murkrow?" John asked as he became very intrigued by his best friend's claim.

"Well, it all started as I was headed to Cerulean City. A sharp sound wave echoed through the air. I find these Team Rocket thugs testing this strange weapon and it caused the Pokémon to get angry. Before I could chase them down, Murkrow were pecking me like I was corn on the cob." Jay said.

John glared at him with a skeptical look and shook his head.

"No way. You wouldn't be exaggerating would you?" John asked.

Jay huffed and crossed his arms.

"I'm serious! I think those goons are causing the Pokémon to attack!" Jay replied.

John laughed off his friend's theory and waved his finger.

"We both know there isn't a sound wave machine." John said.

"Okay, so I don't know it's a sound wave machine and made that up." Jay admitted.

"I knew it." John said.

"Yeah, but at least I didn't believe a plague of 'cooties' was an acceptable answer for diseases." Jay teased.

John rolled his eyes and growled.

"I was younger and you forget science wasn't my best subject until later after being tutored. History and writing were my strong suits." John replied.

The two trainers laughed about their childhood exploits as they continued down the road.

"True, in math you just scribbled random numbers a lot of the time." Jay added.

"But I still managed to get Bs and Cs in it." John replied.

"The city of Celadon!" Jay exclaimed as he saw the busy town on the horizon.

"Until we meet again?" John asked.

Jay nodded as he extended his hand and John shook his hand.

"Take care of yourself." John said.

"It's you we have to worry about, you just don't stop until you're literally dead. It's okay to take a break and relax." Jay said.

"That's easy to say when you're not on a deadline." John said.

Jay groaned as they started to head their separate ways and smirked.

"Until next time, Easton." Jay said.

John nodded and saluted as he headed towards Celadon on his own. As he entered the town, he noticed the crowds of people flocking at the casino and the crowds near the mall. John checked over his finances on the calculator app on his Pokegear and decided he'd stop in at the slots. He had some time to burn any way. The trainer marched over to the service desk to get some coins. He decided to stop and make sure he didn't spend too much by double checking his budget. As he leaned up against the wall, it slid open sending him sliding down a chute into a dark room.

"Where the heck am I?" John asked himself as he turned on a flashlight.

The red "R" on the wall said it all to John and he gulped.

"Great." he muttered.

* * *

_Author's Note: I'm kinda following a mix between the anime and games. I decided I wanted John to stumble on a gameverse location so he could get another chance to train before his next match._


	18. Breaking Out Bulbasaur

John looked around and he heard the faint sound of footsteps on the floor. The trainer leaned up against the wall and gulped as he heard the creaking of a door. A man in a traditional Team Rocket apparel entered the room and noticed the chute John entered through was open. He began to search the perimeter of the room causing the eleven-year old to get nervous. He let out a sigh of relief as the grunt turned to leave, and gulped as it caught the grunt's attention.

"Who goes there?!" the man questioned.

John threw a Pokeball and smirked.

"Beedrill use Poison Sting." John said calmly.

The bug type fired sharp needles into the grunt to knock him out. The trainer slid through the door and looked down the poorly lit hallway. It seemed quiet, too quiet. He felt like he was in a war movie before an ambush. John stopped halfway down the hallway and searched through his backpack. He knew it was in here somewhere. The trainer pulled out a red and white cap with the Arcanines logo on it. The trainer put it on so he could covered his eyes as best as he could. A faint light was visible and John approached it. He entered a room with several Team Rocket grunts at a table playing cards.

"Who would have thought you could get so much money by just rigging up the slots." one of the grunts said with a goofy smile.

"Yeah, those suckers still haven't caught on." another grunt said.

"Okay, we have the Pokémon. Grab today's funds and get outta here." a third grunt said.

As the grunt walked towards the door, John had Beedrill hit him with a Poison Sting.

"We have the special Bulbasaur from the game corner." one of grunts said as he approached his now unconscious boss.

John lost as his balance and fell out from the janitor's closet he and his Beedrill were hiding in.

"You dare mettle in Team Rocket's business?!" the grunt questioned as he threw a Pokeball.

A large blob of purple slime stared at Beedrill. John gulped as he got up and scanned the blob with his Pokedex.

**Muk, the Sludge Pokémon. A horribly toxic liquid seeps out of its body.**

"Beedrill use X-Scissor!" John hollered.

The wasp Pokémon crossed its arms and slashed Muk with its arms. However, it seemed that it did little more than trap Beedrill's arms in the body of the poison type.

"Giga Impact." the grunt commanded.

The sludge Pokémon threw all its weight on top of Beedrill as it slammed into it causing it to faint. John switched out his knocked out Pokémon for his Totodile and waved his finger.

"Give up, kid." the grunt said.

"Funny, I was about to demand you do the same thing." John replied.

"Muk use Sludge Bomb." the grunt said.

The poison Pokémon hurled chunks of filthy goop at Totodile that rained down on it and around it.

"Totodile use Water Gun!" John ordered.

The big jaw Pokémon opened its mouth to fire a powerful blast of water that cut Muk in half. The grunt growled as his Pokémon was defeated and he returned it to its Pokeball.

"You haven't stopped us, kid." the grunt taunted.

John looked up at a spiraled flight of stairs a feet above him, and spotted another grunt carrying a bag.

"Bulb!" the Pokémon inside shouted.

John tried to run past the grunt and was blocked.

"Sorry, kid." he said as he grabbed him and held him in place.

"Totodile use Bite on his leg." John commanded.

The big jaw Pokémon bit down on his right leg causing him to release John and allow him to escape with the water type.

"Get back here!" the grunt hollered as he chased him up the stairs.

"Wash away his chances to catch us with Water Gun." John said.

The Johto starter spit a stream of water that swept the villain back down the stairs. John turned his focus on the other grunt heading for the door on the floor above. John reached for his Chatot's Pokeball on his belt and smirked.

"Chatot use Air Cutter." John said.

The bird was revealed in a bright flash of light as it was released from its Pokeball. The parrot Pokémon flapped its wings to fire several disks of air that cut the bag holding Bulbasaur. The seed Pokémon fell from the floor above.

"I've got ya." John said as he managed to catch the grass type.

As John glanced over the grass type, his eyes widened. No wonder why Team Rocket wanted it. This Bulbasaur was a different color. It was a light green and had a dark green bulb.

"Wow, you are special." John said.

John yelped as he noticed both grunts were dashing down the stairs and Bulbasaur pointed at the railing.

"Of course." John said as he returned Totodile to its Pokeball and grabbed onto Bulbasaur.

He jumped onto the railing and slid down to escape both crooks. The grunts stopped and ran down the stairs to pursue John.

"What do I do now?" he muttered.

Immediately, Bulbasaur stepped forward.

"Bulb, Bulb." it said.

"You want to battle?" John asked.

The grass type nodded in response. John snapped his fingers in a "eureka" moment.

"Bulbasaur, douse these crooks with your Sleep Powder attack." he commanded.

The seed Pokémon released a fine blue powder that wafted over the Team Rocket grunts that made them fall asleep.

"Good job, Bulbasaur!" John exclaimed as he smiled.

The trainer had won this round, and he decided this was enough excitement for one day.

"I should take you back to where you belong." John said as he walked up the stairs and headed out the door.

The grass type nudged John before he entered the casino as if to say thank you.

"Your welcome." John said.

As John returned to the familiar sights and sounds of the Celadon game corner, he was stopped by his rival.

"Hey, since when did you get a Bulbasaur?" she asked as she spotted the grass type next to him.

"Long story." John replied.

"You must be here for the races." Laura said.

"Race?" John asked.

"You mean you don't know about the races?" Laura asked.

John shook his head and shrugged.

"Wow, you really are a loser." Laura taunted as she tossed him a flyer.

"The Celadon Kart races." John read out loud.

"Yeah, the best driver and their Pokémon get a trophy." Laura said.

"Well you can bet on that I'm entering." John boasted.

"Why, so you can lose to me like in everything else?" Laura asked with an arrogant grin and leaned forward.

"Oh yeah, we'll see about that!" John shouted as he leaned forward as well.

The trainers met eye to eye as they growled.

* * *

_Author's Note: As our hero leaves he makes a new friend in Bulbasaur, and frees it from the clutches of Team Rocket. Can he beat his rival in the races? Find out next time. _


	19. The Rivalry Heats up!

John marched over to the customer service desk and around for someone to talk to. A clerk got up from a chair and approached him.

"May I help you?" the man asked.

"I wanted some for information on the Celadon races." John said.

The man flipped through a calendar and stopped as he scanned over the month's events.

"I'm sorry the races aren't scheduled this year." the man said.

"Why?" John asked.

"Funds were an issue. The city had to make budget cuts." the man replied.

John sighed as he slouched down. He was kind of upset they weren't holding the races. The man flipped glanced over the calendar again and showed it to John.

"However, they have the home run derby tomorrow." the man said.

Those three words caught John's attention and caused him to smirk. If there was one thing he do it was play baseball.

"Home run derby?" John questioned.

"Yeah, it has three age groups." the man said.

John nodded and grinned.

"Thanks." he said as he turned to leave.

John was stopped by his rival once more before he exited the game corner.

"So much for your races." John scoffed.

Laura glanced at him with a puzzled look on her face and shrugged.

"Huh?" she questioned.

"They aren't holding them this year." John replied.

"Well, didn't you get lucky." Laura teased.

"How did I get lucky?" John asked.

"You don't have to lose to me." she answered.

John shook his head and waved his finger.

"You know, there's a home run derby tomorrow." John said.

"So?" she asked.

"I'll bet you'd lose." John said.

"Yeah right, like I care about a stupid home run contest." Laura snickered as she turned to leave.

"Do I sense someone Torchickening out?" John asked to tease his rival.

Laura turned to face John and marched over towards him.

"I'm not afraid of anything!" Laura boasted.

"Then prove it." John replied.

"Fine, I will! Tomorrow I'll meet you at that stupid home run derby!" Laura shouted.

John nodded and smirked.

"Suit yourself, but we both know you'll lose." John taunted.

The rivals turned their backs on each other and stormed off as they headed their separate ways. John chuckled as he strolled down the sidewalk. He could deal with the derby tomorrow, today was his gym battle. As John approached the Pokémon Center, he noticed that the Bulbasaur he rescued was still following him. The grass type nudged his leg as he entered the hospital-like facility.

"Are you still following me?" John asked.

The seed Pokémon nodded as John sat down.

"Bulb!" Bulbasaur shouted.

John stared at it for a minute and glanced at the Pokeballs on his belt.

"You're free to go now." John said.

The grass type turned to leave, but returned to John's side. The trainer nearly fell back in his chair as he saw the grass type again.

"What's wrong, little guy?" John asked.

"Bulba." the seed Pokémon said.

John shook his head in confusion as he realized he should probably take it back to the game corner. The trainer carried the seed Pokémon in his arms as he returned to the casino. John approached the front desk and rang the service bell.

"May I help you, sir?" a woman asked.

"I found this Bulbasaur wandering around and I was wondering if this was the game corner's Pokémon." John said.

The woman logged onto a computer and searched through the database.

"Yes, that's the missing Bulbasaur!" the woman replied. "Where did you find it?"

"I just found it roaming around outside." John lied because he didn't want to explain the entire battle with Team Rocket.

"Thanks, that helps us so much." the woman said.

John nodded as he handed the grass type to the woman and turned to leave. As he left the casino, he headed for the gym. The eleven-year old passed the batting cages a few blocks down as he headed to the gym. He stopped by one of the cages and inserted a coin after picking up a bat. The pitching machine launched a ball right down the middle of the plate and John swung right through it.

"Way to whiff, A-Rod." Laura teased as she passed the cages.

John growled as he watched another pitch and missed it. Laura giggled as he missed all eight pitches in a row.

"Oh, like you can do any better!" John hollered as a slight blush formed on his face.

John's rival switched places with him and twirled a bat. Laura put a coin into the machine and watched the first pitch go by.

"Well, I'm waiting." John taunted.

The next pitch, Laura swung the bat and hit a line drive into the backstop. John's rival proceeded to hit six more line drives, and she smirked. As she stepped out of the batting cage, she stuck her tongue out at John.

"Looks like you hit like a girl, oh wait." Laura taunted.

"Where did you learn to hit like that?!" John gasped.

"I played softball." Laura replied with a chuckle.

John growled as he glared at his rival.

"You better improve your swing, loser. Because if you don't you'll be losing to me as usual." Laura added.

The rivals continued their usual quarrel before John looked at his watch. He was falling behind, he wanted to be done with his gym battle by now.

"I'm outta here, I have a gym battle to win." John said.

"Oh, this I gotta see." Laura said.

"Why would you care about me winning?" John asked.

"No, I just want to see this train wreck waiting to happen." Laura replied with a grin.

The rivals started to bicker again as they walked down the road to the Celadon gym.

* * *

_Author's Note: We're already halfway through Kanto and the rivalry is heating up. Can John win a Rainbow badge?_


	20. Rainbow Badge Battle-Part One

John and his rival walked up to the door of a large flower-shaped building. John's eyes widened as they entered the building, had he been tricked? There was nothing here but a perfume shop. He looked around, but there was nothing but perfume as far as the eye could see. Laura smirked as she leaned up against her rival.

"Great sense of directions, John." she teased.

John's face turned a light shade of red and looked at his Pokegear again. He could've sworn the gym was here.

"So much for a gym battle, eh Johnny?" Laura asked.

"It's John not Johnny, Laura!" the trainer scolded.

"Johnny, Johnny, Johnny, Johnny, Johnny!" Laura hollered in a sing-song voice just to annoy him.

John rolled his eyes and groaned. Laura suddenly got distracted by the racks of hats and purses. The ten-year old dashed over to the items causing John to chuckle.

"Girls and their shopping." he muttered as he watched Laura pick up a straw hat on put it on.

"How do I look?" she asked.

"Ridiculous." John deadpanned.

Laura slouched over and sighed as she face palmed. The trainer set the hat back on its rack before a teenage girl with blue hair and a kimono entered the room.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" the girl asked.

John set a bottle of perfume down and shrugged.

"I wonder if Cindy would enjoy getting something like this." John muttered to himself as he adjusted his baseball cap.

Laura stood next to John and snickered.

"Aww...Johnny wants to get something for his girlfriend." she teased as she flicked him in the back of the head.

"No comments from the peanut gallery." John retorted.

Laura huffed at John's response and pouted.

"I was wondering where I could find the Celadon gym." John told the store worker.

"Ahem!" Laura coughed.

"What?" John asked.

"I'm a trainer too." Laura said.

"You are?! Wow, I'm surprised!" John teased.

"Right this way." the store worker said as she interrupted another one of the rivals' quarrels.

The trainers exited the store and entered a greenhouse-type room. The heat in the room was enhanced because of the sunlight that gleamed through the windows. The store worker stood on one side of the room and smirked as the trainers stepped forward.

"Where's the gym leader?" John asked.

The worker giggled as she reached for a Pokeball.

"Let me explain, I am Erika the Celadon City gym leader." the girl said.

John face palmed for not realizing that the "store worker" was actually he store manager and gym leader. Laura snickered as she glared at John.

"You knew!" John hissed as he shot her a death glare.

Laura nodded as she crossed her arms.

"Which one of you are here to battle me first?" Erika asked.

"We both are." Laura replied.

"Then who wants to battle first?" Erika asked.

Laura pointed at John.

"He does. I could use a good laugh." Laura said.

"You won't be laughing when I get my next gym badge!" John taunted.

The trainer turned his attention on Erika and reached for a Pokeball on his belt. John held one of the orbs in his hand and tossed it up into the air.

"Beedrill, it's gameday!" John shouted.

The flash of light subsided and revealed the bug type with a pair of cheap sunglasses covering its eyes.

"Tangela, go!" Erika cheered as she threw a Pokeball.

John reached for his Pokedex and scanned the Pokémon.

**Tangela, a Vine Pokémon. Its body is wrapped in vines. The rest of its form is hidden beneath these vines.**

John nodded as he rubbed his hands together.

"Beedrill use Poison Sting." John commanded.

The wasp Pokémon fired glowing purple barbs that peppered the ground like machine gun fire.

"Tangela use Power Whip." Erika ordered with an icy chill in her voice.

The grass type's right arm started to glow purple before it slapped Beedrill with the vine. Beedrill cringed in pain and fell down.

"Beedrill use X-Scissor." John said calmly.

The bug type crossed its arms before dashing straight at the grass type. Beedrill slashed Tangela with its arms and sent it skidding across the battlefield.

"Tangela use Slam." Erika uttered.

The vine Pokémon leaped up into the air and before John could react Beedrill was trapped by Tangela's arms. The vine Pokémon threw Beedrill to the ground. Beedrill was left in a daze from the strong attack and John's confidence took a major hit.

"Johnny's going to lose his gym battle!" Laura chanted repeatedly.

The trainer from Pallet Town growled as he glanced over at his rival. He knew he couldn't afford to lose this match, Laura would taunt him forever if he lost.

"Beedrill use Twineedle." John commanded.

The bug type flew towards Tangela and pulled its left arm back.

"Dodge it." Erika said.

Beedrill took two stabs at Tangela, but somehow the grass type dodged the jabs.

"Tangela, hit Beedrill with another Power Whip!" Erika shouted.

The purple vine slapped Beedrill in the chest and knocked it backwards.

"Beedrill use Twineedle!" John hollered.

"Dodge it." Erika said.

Beedrill took two jabs at Tangela that were sidestepped. John smirked as he had one last trick up his sleeve.

"X-Scissor!" John shouted.

The wasp Pokémon slashed Tangela before it could dodge the attack and watched as it collapsed.

"Tangela!" Erika gasped.

The gym leader returned the grass type to its Pokeball and reached for another Pokeball.

"Weepinbell, go!" Erika shouted. "Acid."

The flytrap-like Pokémon fired a stream of potent purple liquid from its mouth that drenched Beedrill. John gritted his teeth and gulped as he saw Beedrill squirm in pain. He hated to see Pokémon hurt in that much pain and he pointed its Pokeball at it. The red beam sucked Beedrill in so he could switch Pokémon.

"You put up a heck of a fight." John said.

John reached for another Pokeball that was located farthest on the right of his belt and unclipped it.

"Totodile, I'm counting on you!" John shouted as he threw the orb and smirked.

* * *

_Author's Note: One, I made a minor change to the first chapter of this story. Two. I don't have much time to update after this week. If I'm not back for a while, it's because I either I don't have internet or I don't have time. Drop a review, comments, or suggestions. Swordsman4 out!_


	21. Rainbow Badge Battle-Part Two

The blue gator-like Pokémon opened its jaws and glared at its foe.

"Dile!" Totodile shouted.

"Go back to school, John! Water types are weak to grass types!" Laura jeered.

John shook off his rival's usual insults and gritted his teeth. This matchup could decide the battle.

"Weepinbell use Acid!" Erika shouted.

The plant Pokémon spit a purple stream of corrosive liquid in Totodile's direction.

"Totodile use Water Gun!" John hollered.

The two liquids hit each other and neither Pokémon let up on the power of their attack.

"Weepinbell, turn the tide with Sludge Bomb!" Erika exclaimed.

The fly plant Pokémon let up on its attack and let Water Gun hit it before hurling globs of slime into the air. The slime exploded as it rained down around Totodile. The gator managed to avoid the first three globs, but a final blast hit Totodile. The water type struggled to get up after being hit by the poisonous attack.

"Totodile, we're got this!" John shouted to try to encourage the injured Pokemon.

The big jaw Pokémon pushed itself up and screeched as it got back up on its feet.

"Totodile use Slash." John ordered.

A blue blur was all that could be seen before the water type's claws grew bigger and it took several swipes at Weepinbell. The plant tried to avoid being hit, but Totodile was much faster than the barely mobile plant.

"Weepinbell!" Erika gasped as the grass type fell over.

"Totodile, finish this with Water Gun!" John commanded as he pointed at the fly trap Pokemon.

Totodile fired a high pressure stream of water at Weepinbell that drenched it. Much to John's surprise, it just seemed to rejuvenate the plant Pokémon.

"Weepinbell use Vine Whip!" Erika shouted.

With quick precision, the flycatcher Pokémon slapped Totodile with two vines. John gulped as his Pokémon was repeatedly hit with the vines. The trainer smirked as he came up with an idea.

"Totodile, Bite the vines." John said.

The gator Pokémon chomped down on the vines and kept them in its iron grip.

"Twirl that thing around like a merry-go-round!" John ordered.

Totodile spun around in circles as fast as it could until it started to get sick.

"Let it go!" John hollered.

The gator opened its jaws and released Weepinbell from its iron grip. The plant flew all the way into the wall behind Erika and appeared to leave an indent in the wall. Erika held up its Pokeball and the red beam surrounded it as it was sucked into the orb.

"You fought well, Weepinbell." Erika said.

John crossed his arms and took a deep breath. He had one more Pokémon to take on.

"I'm not finished yet." Erika said confidently.

John remained emotionless as he waited for the gym leader to send out her final Pokémon. The Pokeball the gym leader threw revealed a Gloom and John coughed from its scent. His eyes watered and John groaned.

"Aww, you're not going to let a little Gloom scent get to you, are you?" Laura asked as she held her hands over her nose.

"No, I'm just getting started." John said as he raised his shirt over his nose to use it like a gas mask.

"Gloom use Giga Drain." Erika commanded.

The grass-poison type began to drain away Totodile's energy with a large green vine-like beam.

"Totodile use Bite to cut yourself loose!" John ordered.

The gator chomped down on the beam and its sharp teeth cut threw the beam.

"Now use Water Gun." John said calmly.

"Dodge it, and use Drain Punch." Erika said with a smile.

The weed Pokémon sidestepped Totodile's attack and dashed towards Totodile. The stinky Pokémon pulled its stubby arm back and hit Totodile in the chest with a glowing fist. The gator Pokémon tumbled across the ground and struggled to get up.

"Dile." the water type muttered before it collapsed.

The gator Pokémon had black swirls in its eyes indicating it had fainted. John reached for Totodile's Pokeball again and returned it to its orb.

"You showed hustle and gave it your all. Good job." John muttered before clipping the orb back on his belt.

The trainer from Pallet Town reached for another Pokeball and smirked.

"Chatot, batter up!" John hollered as he threw the Pokeball.

* * *

The Pokémon remained motionless and waited for a command from their masters.

"Chatot use Air Cutter." John commanded.

The parrot flapped its wings to fire multiple disks of air at Gloom that exploded on impact.

"Gloom use Sleep Powder." Erika said.

A thick dust floated up into the air from the flower on Gloom's head.

"Flap your wings and blow it away!" John shouted.

Chatot began to beat its wings rapidly to push the dust away from itself, and suddenly a large tornado formed from the gusts. The cyclone inched closer to Gloom and carried it away. The stink weed Pokémon broke from the twister as it fired a bright green orb from its mouth. The orb exploded as it hit Chatot and sent the parrot plummeting to the ground.

"Chatot!" John screeched in worry.

The bird shook off the attack but Erika pointed at Chatot.

"Hit it with your Solarbeam!" she shouted.

Gloom stood in the light from the ceiling and began to charge up a bright beam of blue energy.

"Chatot use Air Cutter to throw it off balance!" John hollered.

The parrot fired a disk of energy the hit Gloom on its right leg causing it to fall over before firing the beam. The greenhouse ceiling shattered from the energy beam.

"Chatot, end this with Agility and transfer it into your Steel Wing!" John boomed with a grin from ear to ear.

The parrot glided in the air and dove to pick up an extra burst of speed before slamming its wing into Gloom's side. The bird flipped Gloom over and flat on its face before making a U-turn and landed on John's shoulder. The grass type stood up and glared at Chatot for a good minute before finally succumbing to its injuries.

"What?!" Laura gasped as she saw the stink weed Pokémon faint.

"How did I lose? Oh well, I believe you have proved yourself worthy of the Rainbow Badge." Erika said as she handed John a flower-shaped badge.

"Thank you." John said as he took the bright multicolored badge and put it in his badge case.

The trainer turned to leave, but was cut off by Laura.

"You might have won, John Easton, but you won't stand in my way of winning the Indigo League! One day we'll meet, and I'll beat you on the way to becoming a Pokémon Master." Laura declared.

John smirked and shook his head before adjusting his baseball cap.

"Pokémon Master? How childish. You're still aiming for that?" John asked.

"It's not childish!" Laura screeched.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night." John scoffed as he left the gym.

As John walked out the door, he began to get lost in his thoughts. Pokémon Master? He never understood why trainer after trainer set that goal, sports teams were champions ever year. Super Bowl champion, Stanley Cup champ, World Series champ, ect. Why would trainers want any less? Master just seemed like a childish title to John. Not that he cared, he just wanted the money from the tournament so he pay off his family's debt. As John entered the Pokémon Center, he checked his email on the PC. He started to become worried because his grandmother had yet to reply to him. The trainer huffed as he sent called her on his Pokegear. Nothing, just another voice message.

"What's going on?" John asked himself.

His worries were interrupted by a voice he recognized anywhere.

"John Easton, is that you?" the voice asked.

The eleven-year old turned around and his eyes widened as he spotted a girl with long brown hair, light brown eyes, a grey shirt, and blue jeans.

"What are you doing here?" John asked.

"I was just about to ask you the same thing." the girl replied.

"This is a long way from Hoenn." John said.

"I heard about the news." the girl said.

"What news?" John asked.

"The crash." she said.

John nodded and looked away for a brief second. He reminded himself it didn't matter if his cousin was here, he had no time for emotions.

"What's it to you?" John asked coldly.

"I know you're angry, but my father wanted me to tell you that you're welcome to stay with us." his cousin said.

John nodded and a halfhearted smirk formed on his face.

"I'll think about it." John said.

"I'll be here all week if you need help with anything." the girl said.

John crossed his arms and chuckled.

"I can take care of myself you know, just because you're older than mean doesn't mean I can't do anything on my own." John replied with a grin.

"By the way, I stopped by your place trying to find you. You might like this." the girl said as she tossed John a small package.

"Thanks." John said as he tipped his cap and turned to leave.

* * *

_Author's Note: A Rainbow Badge, a tired trainer, and an old family member's return. What will come from all of this?_


End file.
